And Chauhan himself is reportedly not too happy about his appointment.``There is nothing to celebrate about'', Chauhan is reported to have told one of his confidants on the eve of leaving for Ahmedabad to assume charge. Though for the record, he expresses happiness, worry is written large on his face. ``In my active political career, beginning from the late 1950s, I have never asked for anything from the party. Even when I was appointed mayor in 1995, I did not lobby for it,'' he told Express Newsline. Standing committee member Bakul Patel, too, vouches for Chauhan's statement. ``I know Chauhan is a selfless man. Unlike others, he never sent his bio data to the party high command'', Patel said.

However, he admitted that Fakirbhai had been sidelined. Given the choice Chauhan would have preferred to become a mayor or even merely a leader of house, a post he has been holding for the last two years.

Predictably, Chauhan's rivals are only too happy. And with Chauhan away, the Surat Municipal Corporation will never be the same again. For Chauhan was not only the leader of house, he was also the leading light of the Khajuria pack.

With his departure, said a former standing committee chairman, there will be no further faction within the party. ``It is a healthy sign for the city'', he added.

Party insiders, said to be close to Chauhan, claimed that of late Chauhan's relations with South Gujarat's strong man Kashiram Rana had deteriorated. The union minister is said to be in favour of shifting Chauhan from Surat, insiders point out, highlighting that with the appointment of Navneet Jariwala as a mayor, it had become clear that Rana had thrown his weight behind Jariwala, instead of Chauhan.

However, it is Municipal Commissioner S Jagadeesan who is having the last laugh. It was Chauhan who first opened front against the commissioner. The civic chief and the former mayor were destined to remain at loggerheads. At times, trivial issues had triggered fights between the two with both manipulating the Press to serve their interests.

However, Chauhan suffered a severe blow from his party men, who allegedly sided with the civic chief. And Chauhan could see where he stood. Last week Chauhan had called a meeting of senior councillors and party functionaries to pass a resolution reprimanding the municipal commissioner for ``insulting and ignoring the elected wing'', but he failed to convince them.

A section of councillors put their foot down, and ultimately Chauhan had to give up the idea of moving the resolution in the general board, according to a party insider.

By all counts, Chauhan would have emerged the front runner for the post of the mayor in the new system -- Mayor-in-Council -- likely to be introduced shortly, if he had not been appointed the Chairman. ``Now decks have been cleared for party loyalists to become the mayor. With Chauhan as a contestant the mayoral polls would have been anything but smooth'', claimed former standing committee chairman Narendra Gandhi.