Ahmed Patel had offered his Rajya Sabha seat to Vaghela, say party sources

Former Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela was offered Rajya Sabha seat before his resignation, if sources are to be believed.

Congress leader Ahmed Patel had offered his seat to Vaghela. The party insiders in Congress say that Ahmed Patel was not keen to fight Rajya Sabha elections and he had offered his seat to Vaghela.

Patel had already filed his nomination on July 26. Vaghela had quit the party on July 21 and had resigned as Leader of Opposition in the Gujarat Assembly on July 23.

He sent his resignation letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

In his letter shared with the media, the former chief minister had alleged that he was forced to take this "tough decision" as some Congress leaders were conspiring against him ahead of the Assembly polls, expected to be held in Gujarat in December.

Vaghela, who joined the Congress in 1998, had claimed that just like some Congress leaders conspired against him in 2009, when he lost Godhara (Panchmahal) Lok Sabha seat, similar attempts were made to oust him from the party in recent times.