Shankarsinh Vaghela: The Man Who Quit Cong Was Once Modi’s Mentor

After his exit from Cong, speculations are rife that Vaghela would become Governor or would get into Rajya Sabha.

Veteran politician Shankarsinh Vaghela. 

(Photo: Harsh Sahani/The Quint)

Having served as the chief minister of Gujarat and as a Cabinet Minister, a member of Parliament (MP) six times – once in Rajya Sabha and five times in Lok Sabha – Gujarat’s Shankarsinh Vaghela is a politician of considerable repute and experience. Fondly referred to as ‘Bapu’ by scores of his loyal followers, he is now considered to be the state’s foremost leader in terms of reach and charisma.

For this reason, the 77-year-old legislator’s announcement that he will be quitting the Congress can be seen as a big blow to the party with already grim fortunes in Gujarat.

The ostensible reason for his departure may be the unpreparedness of the party with respect to the upcoming Gujarat elections. However, some political observers have reported that Rahul Gandhi’s indecision on announcing him as the chief ministerial candidate is the reason for his disgruntlement.

Nevertheless, one also has to see his exit in a larger context, wherein he has been met with distrust by his own party members. After all, the leader, along with having RSS roots, had a long with stint with the BJP. He served as the general secretary and president of the party's state unit for 11 long years. Also, there was a time when he “mentored” Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Such a lingering suspicion is manifested in what a senior Congress party leader said of him to Mint back in March:

He is one of the tallest leaders in the state and we value his leadership. But what is also a fact is that the Congress party is aware of his unpredictability. Given that he has a number of friends in both the RSS and the BJP, he could either join them back or use this as a pressure tactic to demand a larger role for himself.

Shankarsinh Vaghela.(Photo: PTI)

Also Read: Big Blow To Congress as Vaghela Quits Months Before Gujarat Polls

In light of his departure from the Congress after two decades and the serious political consequences it could have, we sketch a brief profile of the leader who’s a veteran in the business of politics.

The BJP Days: Advani’s Confidant And Modi’s Mentor

After having been jailed during Indira Gandhi’s Emergency (1975-77), Vaghela came into prominence in the world of politics during the Janata Party rule (1977-80), when he was elected as an MP in the Lower House from Kapadvanj constituency and also held the post of vice-president of the party for Gujarat.

From there, he moved on to be a part of BJP, serving as the party's Gujarat president from 1980 to 1991. During his time with the BJP, he served as an MP from both the Rajya Sabha (1984-89) as well as the Lok Sabha (1989-91 and 1991-96).

Vaghela played a significant role in the BJP when the party was in a crucial phase of its political development – the time of the Ayodhya Rath Yatra. He had a good rapport with the yatra’s leader LK Advani. Interestingly, it is said that he was the first BJP leader to know about the yatra plans from Advani.

He also had a close relationship with Narendra Modi, who at that time, was just about breaking into the BJP ranks. The two were known to travel together on Vaghela’s Royal Enfield across the state.

… We would ride across the districts of Gujarat, meeting party sympathisers, business people, writers and commoners. We would stay in people’s houses. We did this for about five or six years.

Shankersinh Vaghela

Shankasinh Vaghela with Narendra Modi in 2014. (Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@Pritesh_dipu)

In terms of social clout, Vaghela is an upper caste Rajput, who commands a veritable following among the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) of Gujarat, especially the Kolis which is one of largest caste-based groupings in Gujarat, constituting 22 percent of the state’s population, as per one estimate.

It is said that Vaghela played a key role in bringing the Koli community to the BJP fold in the 80s and 90s, which contributed to the party’s electoral gains.

His importance to the BJP is borne out by what Jayantilal Baror, a fellow participant in the Ayodhya yatra, had to say about him. Calling him a "visionary", Barot said Vaghela's "role in strengthening the party was huge", as he "brought everyone into the party".

However, Vaghela’s association with the BJP was not to stay long, as disagreements with the party began to emerge in 1995. He was overlooked and fellow party leader Keshubhai Patel was elevated to the post of chief minister after the Assembly elections.

Interestingly, it was Modi who rallied behind Patel, and the motorcycle buddies soon found themselves pitted against each other as political rivals.

A rebellion and a failed compromise later, Vaghela quit the BJP in 1997, commanding the backing of more than 40 MLAs.

Erecting a New Party And Merging With The Congress

After the exit, Vaghela founded a party – the Rashtriya Janata Party (RJP) – and finally went on to become the CM of Gujarat with the backing of the Congress. However, his tenure was short-lived – lasting from October 1996 to October 1997.

It is said that the Congress-RJP relationship was marked by quarrels, which brought the government down within a year.

As the 1998 Assembly elections gave a convincing win to the BJP (it won 117 seats against Congress’ 53 and RJP’s 4), Shankarsinh's party eventually merged with the Congress. From there began his long tenure with the latter, which came to an end only on 21 July, which incidentally, also marked his 77th birthday.

While the Congress has never tasted power in Gujarat in the years since, Vaghela has had an impressive career, serving, among other positions, as Union Textiles Minister (2004-2009), Lok Sabha MP (1999-2008), chairman of Campaign Committee for 2012 Gujarat elections, president of Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee and the Leader of Opposition in the assembly.

Alongside his political career, Vaghela also established an institute named after him – the Shankersinh Vaghela Bapu Institute of Technology – in 2009 near Gandhinagar.

Shankarsinh Vaghela.(Photo: PTI)

History Repeats Itself

In Vaghela’s case, history seems to have repeated itself with precision.

The Congress’ indecision on naming him as the chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming Assembly elections may have led to his departure from the party.

Speculation is rife on what is next for Vaghela. A local political observer told The Quint that he could get Governorship and his son Mahendersinh Vaghela could get a Cabinet post if the BJP wins the Assembly election.

The buzz is also that he may get a Rajya Sabha seat with backing from the BJP.

Also Read: Congress Will Not Name Any CM Candidate in Gujarat: Ashok Gehlot