Pre-poll blow to Congress as former Gujarat Dy CM Narhari Amin quits

Sulking Gujarat former deputy chief minister Narhari Amin, who was not given nomination by Congress for coming assembly polls, today resigned from the party, dealing it a blow ahead of the electoral battle.

Amin, a prominent leader of the influential Patel community sent his resignation to Gujarat Congress vice-president Ballubhai Patel.

Patel, however, said he is yet to receive the resignation letters of Amin and his supporters who quit the party.

Six senior leaders, including spokespersons of Gujarat Congress, Jayanti Parmar and Hitesh Patel, state party general secretary Ashish Amin, farmers cell chairman Dashrath Patel, teachers cell chairman Digvijaysinh Gohil, Ahmedabad Congress vice-president R C Patel, who had quit their party posts last Friday, resigned from the primary membership of Congress today.

"Amin and six of us have tendered our resignations to GPCC following injustice in distribution of tickets by the high-command and the top state leaders," Hitesh Patel said.

Amin, a former president of Gujarat Cricket Association, had held a show of strength two days ago by organising a meeting of his supporters on the outskirts of city where he had slammed the party high command and state Congress leaders for refusing tickets to "worthy" candidates.

The meeting was attended among others by former city mayor Himmatsinh Patel, and senior leaders Naresh Raval and Rekha Chaudhry.

Amin, who has sizeable support in the politically powerful Patel community, was not given ticket by Congress on the ground that he had lost two consecutive assembly elections.

Union minister of state for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Shukla had come and met the disgruntled leader in a bid to mollify him amid speculation about his joining BJP.

It was also being speculated that he could be given an important post in the Indian cricket board or be accomodated in the Rajya Sabha.

Without elaborating on what was offered to Amin to pacify him, Patel said the leader had "rejected all offers".

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