Ahmedabad: Gujarat has seen as many as 21 Congress legislators and a host of leaders deserting the party, in order to embrace the BJP in the last five years. But, in another departure of sorts, Jay Narayan Vyas, former senior minister in the Keshubhai Patel, Suresh Mehta and Narendra Modi Cabinets - he featured in all of them - has bid adieu to the BJP.
Highly placed sources in the Congress headquarters indicated to The Free Press Journal that Vyas is in all likelihood joining the Congress. He wishes to contest elections from the Siddhpur constituency in North Gujarat’s Patan district, where he has won four times, and lost twice.
Since the Congress doesn’t wish to sideline its first-time MLA from Siddhpur - Chandabhai Thakor - it is working out if he could contest from Palanpur or Chanasma, and whether Vyas could be fielded from either of these two places – all in North Gujarat.
Speaking to The Free Press Journal, however, Vyas said, “My options are open: Congress or AAP (in that order). I never take such decisions without adequate consultations with my key grassroots network. My decision will be out in two days.”
He only smiled when told about speculation that he fits the bill perfectly for the Congress, and said, “You journalists can’t wait for a day or two? Heavens are not going to fall!”
He denies he quit the BJP, because he was not going to get a ticket from Siddhpur and asserted, “I don’t demand anything, I get things on my merit. Nobody can take away my huge pool of knowledge.”
Asked about intense speculations that he might wish to be the chief ministerial candidate of the Congress party, while AAP has already announced its man, Vyas laughed, “Good to know I have well-wishers like you.”
Vyas’ is not just any other resignation of a disgruntled political spent force quitting in a huff after being denied a ticket. This is the man who played the most important role in steering the ambitious Narmada project through a gruelling Supreme Court battle against the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA).
Few may know that Vyas was also the man who revved up the 108 Ambulance vans into action after becoming the State Health Minister in Gujarat’s Narendra Modi Cabinet. “There were only three 108 Ambulance vans when I took over, the rest were rusting,” claims Vyas, 75.
An IIT-Bombay graduate, an expert on water issues, an economist of sorts, as well as an author and a columnist, Jay Narayan Vyas was speaking to The Free Press Journal sitting in his office amidst a maze of books.
“I was fed up with the dirty politicking and sabotage attempts going on at the organisational level. For instance, the people who came as observers to my Siddhpur constituency to assess the possible candidates, were themselves the aspirants – I mean those from the district level,” he says, stopping short of criticising the top BJP leadership.
He resigned past Friday midnight amid speculations that he might embrace the Congress party expecting an election ticket from the Siddhpur constituency in North Gujarat’s Patan district, from where he used to win but lost the previous two elections allegedly after internal sabotage.
State of play in Gujarat
Political tongues have been wagging after the former minister, who is an author and a columnist, last week called on senior Congress observer for Gujarat elections and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
Confirming this meeting, Gujarat Congress president Jagdish Thakor said, "Vyas immensely helped the BJP build the party but is being ignored and sidelined.”
“He had recently met Soniaji, Gehlotji and Gujarat Congress in-charge Raghu Sharma. Let us wait for him to spell out if he wishes to join the Congress or not,” Thakor said.
Gujarat BJP president CR Paatil was quite nonchalant about the development. Accepting the resignation, he said, “We had given him tickets many times despite his repeated defeats. The party has a rule that it would not give tickets beyond 75 years of age.”
“I don’t know, he may have quit over his insistence on the party ticket or some other reason,” said Paatil, who is believed to be close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
When countered on this, Jay Narayan Vyas asserted, “Chandrakant-bhai (Paatil’s first name) is a nice person, but it is not he who decides whom to allot the party tickets but the central parliamentary board. As for my losing the elections earlier, he was nobody in the party organisation in those days so I don’t blame him for such statements. I don’t care either.”
He told The Fress Press Journal, “I have never sought even ministership, forget the other things.
