Shankersinh Vaghela
Former chief minister of Gujarat Shankersinh Vaghela would formally join Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on January 29 in Ahmedabad, said media reports. NCP president Sharad Pawar will also be present at the event.
Former union minister Vaghela (78) would be taken in the party as its general secretary.
Vaghela had quit the Congress before the 2017 assembly poll, forming his own party. Vaghela will likely work as the coordinator of the grand alliance.
He started his political career with Jana Sangh, which later evolved into Janata Party. After Janata Party split into various factions, Vaghela became a senior leader of the BJP. Vaghela, in 1996, broke away from the saffron party and formed the Rashtriya Janata Party.
From 1996 to 1997, he served as the chief minister of Gujarat. Later, his party merged with Congress. However, on 21 July 2017, he left congress and resigned from the post of the leader of opposition.
Vaghela formed new outfit Jan Vikalp Morcha which contested but did not win any of the seats in 2017 Gujarat Legislative Assembly poll.
