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As of October 3, 2026, Shankersinh Vaghela has not formally rejoined Congress. The former Gujarat chief minister has said he is ready to join the party to defeat the BJP, but he said a meeting with Rahul Gandhi would come before a decision. Congress discussions are described as advanced, while his reported appearance at a party event is not confirmation of membership.
Has Shankersinh Vaghela rejoined Congress?
No formal return has been confirmed in the reporting available as of October 3, 2026. On September 30, Vaghela told The Indian Express, “To throw out the BJP government, I am ready to join (the Congress).” He said he had spoken with AICC general secretary in charge of Gujarat Randeep Singh Surjewala, Gujarat Congress chief Amit Chavda and former Union minister Bharatsinh Solanki, and that a meeting with Rahul Gandhi would take place before he decided.
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On October 3, Vaghela appeared at Congress’s ‘Punah Van Adhikar Satyagraha’ in Khopi village, Narmada district, supporting tribal forest-land rights. The event indicates public engagement with Congress, but does not establish that he has rejoined the party.
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Sources cited by The Indian Express said Vaghela would campaign for Congress in the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation election scheduled for October 11, 2026, and that an announcement about his return was likely during Navratri. These are reported expectations, not completed events or a confirmed timetable.
At Khopi, Vaghela criticized the state and central governments over reservation and tribal services. The Indian Express reported him saying, “Those sitting in Gandhinagar and Delhi are enemies of reservation,” and urging voters to reject the government in the 2027 Gujarat election. He cited education, health and malnutrition as concerns in tribal communities.
Why Vaghela’s 2017 departure still matters
Vaghela left Congress in 2017, ahead of that year’s Gujarat Assembly election and a closely contested Rajya Sabha election in which Congress veteran Ahmed Patel sought re-election. The Indian Express reported that Vaghela announced his exit on his 77th birthday amid party strain over alleged cross-voting in the presidential election. Patel won the Rajya Sabha contest by a narrow margin.
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Hindustan Times reported that 14 Congress MLAs, including Vaghela, left around that period; three crossed to the BJP, and Congress expelled eight, including Vaghela, for cross-voting. His departure therefore carries a history of defections and internal distrust that could shape how any return is received within the party.
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What Vaghela did after leaving Congress
Vaghela’s political career has crossed party lines. After breaking from the BJP in 1996, he formed the Rashtriya Janata Party and became Gujarat chief minister with Congress support; the RJP later merged with Congress. He subsequently led Gujarat Congress and served as a Union minister in the first UPA government.
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After his 2017 exit, he launched the Jan Vikalp Morcha, joined the Nationalist Congress Party and later formed the Praja Shakti Democratic Party. The Indian Express dates the latter party’s formation to 2020. Hindustan Times reports that these subsequent political ventures did not win a seat.
Why a return could matter before the 2027 election
The Indian Express reported that Gujarat’s next Assembly election is scheduled for December 2027; the coverage does not cite a formal election notification. It also reported that Congress had 12 MLAs in the 182-member Assembly as of October 2026. Vaghela has described the 2027 contest as his last opportunity to make a political impact.
The electoral backdrop is difficult for Congress. Hindustan Times reported that Congress won 77 seats and the BJP 99 in the 2017 Assembly election. In 2022, the BJP won 156 of 182 seats and Congress won 17. The report put the BJP’s later strength at 162 and Congress’s at 12. These figures describe the parties’ reported standing at different points; they do not show that Vaghela’s return would change future election results.
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What analysts see as the opportunity and the risk
Potential organisational value
Amit Dholakia, head of political science at MS University, Vadodara, told Hindustan Times that Vaghela’s experience could help Congress rebuild in parts of central and eastern Gujarat, including the tribal belt. Vaghela’s presence at the Khopi event and his public focus on tribal rights give context to that possibility, but do not demonstrate that he can bring voters or organisations with him.
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Faction and vote-conversion risks
Dholakia also warned that Vaghela’s return could add another faction and complicate ticket distribution. “His entry could add one more faction to the existing groups. It might be difficult to manage the internal factions over tickets,” he said. He doubted the move would have a major electoral impact in 2027.
Political scientist and retired JNU professor Ghanshyam Shah questioned whether Vaghela still has a large following and warned he could create problems for the party. Shah described him as “a good strategist,” but said his previous strategies had not worked for Congress. These are analysts’ assessments, not established predictions.
Quick Recap
What to watch for
- Whether Vaghela meets Rahul Gandhi, which he said would precede his decision.
- Whether Congress or Vaghela makes a formal announcement during Navratri, as sources reportedly expected.
- Whether Vaghela campaigns in the October 11 Gandhinagar civic election, which was reported as a plan rather than a completed commitment.
- How Congress handles party organisation and candidate selection if he returns.
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