Shaktisinh Gohil Resigns as Gujarat Congress Chief

Ahmedabad, Gujarat – In a major political development just hours after the results of the Kadi and Visavadar by-elections, Shaktisinh Gohil resigned as the President of the Gujarat Congress, owning moral responsibility for the party’s poor performance. The announcement came within four hours of the results, sending ripples across the state’s political landscape.

Taking swift action, the Congress high command appointed Shailesh Parmar, MLA from Danilimda, as the interim state chief until a new president is formally named.

“I accept full responsibility for not securing either seat in the bypolls. I have sent my resignation to the national president,” said Shaktisinh in a candid statement. “Even though we haven’t been in power for 30 years, our workers have shown unwavering commitment. I now return to being a dedicated worker of the Congress.”

Three state presidents have resigned in the last seven years. Earlier, Jagdish Thakor had resigned from the post of state president after being defeated in the 2022 assembly elections. After that, Shaktisinh became the new state president in June 2023. Earlier, Amit Chavda had resigned from the post of state president after being defeated in the municipal and district panchayat elections held in February-March 2021. It is worth mentioning that Amit Chavda became the state president in 2018.

Leadership with Accountability

Shaktisinh emphasized that he did not wait to be persuaded or protected. “There is a tradition in the Congress of accepting moral responsibility. I follow that tradition with pride,” he added. “It would have been different if we had won at least one of the two seats.”

Known for his oratory, intellect, and deep understanding of policy, Gohil’s resignation is being viewed by many as a rare act of political accountability in Indian politics.

He further commented on the recent organizational changes in Gujarat Congress:

“The appointment of district presidents was done after consulting grassroots workers. This is not about who is close to Shaktisinh Gohil, but about who aligns with the party’s vision.”

Organizational Overhaul and Challenges

The Congress had just announced its city and district presidents on June 21, 20 days after its self-imposed May 31 deadline. The delay in organizational clarity, coupled with internal disagreements, is believed to have contributed to the party’s lackluster performance in the by-elections.

The newly appointed district leadership includes 10 former MLAs and one former MP, signaling an effort to revitalize the party at the grassroots.

From Royalty to Reformer

Shaktisinh Gohil is the son of Harishchandra Ranjitsinh Gohil, the sixth king of Limda State (Hanubhana). Shaktisinh himself is the Darbar Sahib of Limda. Thus, he comes from a royal family. His grandfather Ranjitsinhji became an MLA from the Gadhada seat in 1967 from an independent party.

He was born on 4 April 1960 in Limda village of Umrala taluka of Bhavnagar. He studied in a government primary school from 1st to 4th standard in a school in Surendranagar and then in an Arya Samaj Gurukul in Songadh. Later, after doing BSC with Chemistry from Sir P.P. Institute in Bhavnagar, he studied LLB, Diploma in Journalism and later LLM from Saurashtra University, Rajkot.

During this period, he also contested two elections for the district panchayat politically. He also became an MLA at the same time as his studies. Out of 4 brothers and 2 sisters in the family, one brother has passed away. The family is busy in its own way. When I am needed in political activities, I stay behind the scenes and help, but I am not actively involved in politics.

Shaktisinh Gohil was the president of the Bhavnagar District Youth Congress Party in 1986 and was also the general secretary of the Gujarat State Youth Congress in 1989. After this, Shaktisinh Gohil contested the local self-government elections and became the vice-president of the Bhavnagar District Panchayat. In 1990, he became a member of the AICC and from here his political career began.

There are very few leaders of the Congress who are also aware of technical matters and have a good grasp of the language. Shaktisinh is one such Congress leader who is both alert and smart. He is known as the youngest leader in the history of the Gujarat cabinet to hold the post of minister at the age of 32. From 1991 to 1995, he held the portfolios of Education, Health and Finance. He has the image of a leader who has intensive reading and study.

He has been a five-term MLA from 1990-95, 1995-98, 2007-2012, 2014 and 2017 to 2020. While in 2020, he became a Rajya Sabha MP.