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Politics
Former Gujarat Chief Minister Shankarsinh Vaghela Eyes Return to Congress After Nine Years
✍️ India Today
🗓 02 Oct 2026, 02:37 AM
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Sources indicate that former Gujarat chief minister Shankarsinh Vaghela is contemplating a comeback to the Indian National Congress, nine years after leaving the party.
New Delhi – Political observers report that Shankarsinh Vaghela, who served as Gujarat’s chief minister from 1996 to 1998, is weighing a return to the Indian National Congress after a nine‑year hiatus. The speculation follows informal discussions with senior Congress leaders, though no formal announcement has been made.
Vaghela quit the Congress in 2015, joining the Bharatiya Janata Party before forming his own regional outfit, the Jan Vikalp Morcha, which later merged with the BJP. His departure was marked by disagreements over candidate selections and internal party dynamics. Since then, he has remained a prominent figure in Gujarat’s political landscape, occasionally commenting on state and national issues.
Analysts suggest that his potential re‑entry could bolster the Congress’s prospects in Gujarat ahead of upcoming state elections, where the party seeks to regain ground lost to the BJP. However, party insiders caution that integrating a leader with a complex past may also pose internal challenges.
Vaghela quit the Congress in 2015, joining the Bharatiya Janata Party before forming his own regional outfit, the Jan Vikalp Morcha, which later merged with the BJP. His departure was marked by disagreements over candidate selections and internal party dynamics. Since then, he has remained a prominent figure in Gujarat’s political landscape, occasionally commenting on state and national issues.
Analysts suggest that his potential re‑entry could bolster the Congress’s prospects in Gujarat ahead of upcoming state elections, where the party seeks to regain ground lost to the BJP. However, party insiders caution that integrating a leader with a complex past may also pose internal challenges.