The Hindu : Waghela may have to disband Shakti Dal

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Wednesday, Jan 07, 2004

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Waghela may have to disband Shakti Dal

By Our Special Correspondent

MUMBAI JAN. 6. The Gujarat Congress chief, Shankarsinh Waghela, may soon have to disband the Shakti Dal, the outfit he launched to counter the Vishwa Hindu Parishad-Bajrang Dal in the State.

Indications to this effect were available here today after a delegation of about 100 partymen, including Amarsinh Choudhary and Urmilaben Patel, met Vilasrao Deshmukh, the AICC secretary in-charge of Gujarat. A couple of days ago, Mr. Waghela was told to stop recruiting members to the Dal.

Mr. Deshmukh will reportedly convey to the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, that the partymen want speedy action against Mr. Waghela "before the election process for Lok Sabha commences anytime now".

The feeling is that the Shakti Dal has in no way spruced up or strengthened the other frontal organisations of the party. Mr. Deshmukh had been asked to study and report the matter to Ms. Gandhi. However, his brief does not include dealing with Mr. Waghela's resignation, which is pending with Ms. Gandhi since the party's recent poll debacle in Gujarat. However, the assessment on the issue of Shakti Dal would have a bearing on whether Mr. Waghela should continue or not.

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