Mehsana, Jun 16 (IANS): Former Gujarat Congress President Bharatsinh Solanki has announced taking a break from active politics but has started interacting with people, especially from the Other Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and weaker sections of society.
On Thursday, Solanki addressed people from the OBC community in Dabhi village of north Gujarat by organising a 'Khatla Parishad'.
'Khatla Parishad' was coined by Bharatsinh Solanki's father and former Gujarat Chief Minister Madhavsinh Solanki in the 1970s and 1980s.
Through 'Khatla Parishad', the senior Congress leader has been reaching out to people and promoting the party's ideology and work done by the past Congress government in Gujarat.
OBCs constitute 40 per cent population in the state. Thakor community is one of the 146 castes listed among the OBCs and forms nearly eight per cent population in the state.
There are 26 Assembly seats in the state dominated by the Thakors.
Solanki told IANS, "I aim to reach out to poor people, especially the OBCs, SCs/STs etc whose issues have not been addressed during the present BJP-led state government when budget allocation for SC/ST/OBC community has been reduced. When Congress was in power in the state, it allocated more funds for the weaker sections of society. I will continue to work for them."
The Congress leader said he will continue to strengthen the Congress at the ground level and is making all efforts to unite all anti-BJP forces such as the Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) and former Gujarat Chief Minister Shankersinh Vaghela.
Solanki added that BTP founder Chhotu Vasava is in talks with the Aam Aadmi Party but he will convince Vasava to join hands with the Congress and bring back Shankersinh Vaghela to the party fold.
Commenting on the Enforcement Directorate questioning former Congress President Rahul Gandhi, he said, "BJP believes in vindictive politics and wants to finish all political opponents. They have compromised the sanctity of constitutional institutions. They had even tarnished the image of an honest leader like late Rajiv Gandhi."