Gujarat Congress leaders to meet Rahul Gandhi today, likely to decide new PCC chief

The meeting comes six months after Gujarat Congress president Amit Chavda and Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader Paresh Dhanani stepped down from their posts.

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New Delhi: The Gujarat Congress unit leaders will meet Rahul Gandhi on Friday (October 22) to take a call on the new face for the state’s Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC), ANI reported. 

"The vacancies in the party`s state unit need to be filled as the Assembly polls are due next year in the state," a source told the news agency. 

This comes six months after Gujarat Congress president Amit Chavda and Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader Paresh Dhanani stepped down from their posts. Gujarat PCC was dissolved in October 2019. 

Following the demise of Rajya Sabha member Rajeev Satav, who died from post COVID-19 complications in May 2021, All India Congress Committee (AICC) appointed Raghu Sharma as  Gujarat in charge. "The party is facing defeats in the local body polls and other opposition parties are emerging as a challenge for Congress in Opposition. In the current scenario, the meeting will be attended by senior leaders of the state and AICC in-charge Raghu Sharma," the source added. 

As per reports, Gandhi will meet 15 senior leaders today to select the next Gujarat Congress president. Hardik Patel, who is currently the Working President of Gujarat Congress, and Rajya Sabha MP Shaktisinh Gohil are reportedly the frontrunners in the race for the post of president and leader of the CLP respectively. 

Hardik Patel is from the Patidar community and emerged as a leader after the Patidar Movement, while Gohil is considered close to the Gandhi family.

It is a crucial meeting as Gujarat will witness Assembly elections next year, where there is a direct fight between the grand old party and BJP that has been ruling the state for almost two decades. 

(With agency inputs)