HVK Archives: Waghela faces fresh challenge in 'rebel' Atmaram Patel
Waghela faces fresh challenge in 'rebel' Atmaram Patel - The Times of India
Times of India News Service
()
23 September 1997
Title: Waghela faces fresh challenge in 'rebel' Atmaram Patel
Author: Times of India News Service
Publication: The Times of India
Date: September 23, 1997
The 11-month-old Rashtriya Janata Party ministry headed by chief minister
Shankarsinh Waghela has plunged into a new crisis with a virtual revolt by
revenue minister Atmaram Patel who gave enough indication on Monday that he
was in the race for the leadership in case Mr Waghela Is replaced as a
possible compromise by the Congress high command in the state.
According to sources in Sachivalaya, Mr Patel had expressed his readiness
to shoulder the responsibility of heading the new ministry if senior state
and national Congress leaders agreed for a change and assured the central
leadership of the Congress that he would be able to provide stable, clean
and the "Congress-oriented ministry."
Mr Patel's proposal, now under the consideration of the Congress
leadership, has been evolved as a part of a political package being worked
out by leader of the legislature Congress Party Amarsinh Chaudhary but had
yet to find favour of the party president Sitaram Kesri.
Governor Krishna Pal Singh on his return from Delhi had summoned Mr Patel
at Raj Bhavan on Friday. Mr Singh is believed to have discussed the pros
and cons of the formula with the revenue minister, who is an "old
Congressman" and considered to be a clean and good administrator.
As part of this strategy, some members of the Waghela ministry who are
highly dissatisfied with the style of functioning of the chief minister had
met at the residence of Amarsinh Chaudhary last week end to discuss the
future course of action.
Annoyed with the sudden developments taking place at the behest of Congress
leaders, Mr Waghela is also seriously contemplating to deal firmly with any
rebellion from within. To send this message loud and clear, Mr Waghela had
summarily dismissed chairman of Gujarat Handicrafts Development Corporation
for the so-called indiscipline in the party.
The chief minister is reported to have discussed with senior RJP leaders
disciplinary action including dropping of Mr Patel from the ministry. Even
on Saturday, some senior leaders including Narsinh Padhiar and Chiman
Shukla had categorically ruled out possibility of a change in the leadership.
Meanwhile, Mr Atmaram Patel is leaving for Delhi on Tuesday morning on an
official tour but he is likely meet senior Congress leaders like Pranab
Mukerjee, Madhavsinh Solanki and Ahmed Patel. They are likely to discuss
the political fall out of the change in leadership of the RJP with Mr Patel
so that the Congress working committee at its meeting on Saturday could
take final decision on the issue.
However, industries minister Dilip Parikh, who is second-in-command in
Waghela cabinet when approached by reporters turned down such a proposal
and asserted that Mr Waghela was our leader and would remain as one even in
future.
He said, "We would oppose tooth and nail any such move." Another senior
minister Babubhai Meghji Shah who was present in Mr Parikh's chamber also
supported views expressed by his senior colleague saying that "they could
not think of anyone else except Mr Waghela as their leader."
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