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  • /I was expelled from Congress 24 hours ago, says Shankersinh Vaghela

I was expelled from Congress 24 hours ago, says Shankersinh Vaghela

I was expelled from Congress 24 hours ago, says Shankersinh Vaghela

Shankersinh Vaghela

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Vaghela is leader of the Opposition in the state assembly

Gujarat leader Shankersinh Vaghela today declared that he was expelled from Congress 24 hours ago even as speculation wasrife that the veteran Gujarat leader who turned 77 todaymight be leaving theCongress party.

Vaghela during hisbirthday celebrations at Gandhinagar said: "I was expelled from Congress 24 hours ago because the party did not know what I would be saying."

The Gujarat leader said that he won't be rejoining the BJP.

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Earlier reports saidVaghelawould make an important announcement at his birthday celebrations and share his "feelings" with his supporters.

The ex-Congress veteran -- who was also the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly -- has apparently been sulking because he wasnot given a free hand in his Congress party's campaign for the upcoming December state Assembly elections.

Vaghela had said last month: "If the party wishes to concede defeat even before the fight has begun, I would not commit suicide with it."

Meanwhile, Zee News reported the Congress's Gujarat state unit hadissuedVaghela a warning that he not "play any politics".

To which, ANI reported him as replying: "Whoever wants to come can come and whoever does not, should not. A party has the right to stop its workers and workers have the right to decide what they want to do. They are not bonded labourers."

Vaghela, who used to be with the Bharatiya Janata Party, snapped ties with the party in the late nineties.

He set up his own party which then merged with the Congress.