The Congress expelled me 24 hours ago, even before I made the announcement.He was not attending the state Congress meetings for some time and even unfollowed Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on microblogging website twitter to China Wholesale Party Tent Suppliers register his protest."Vaghela wanted that present PCC president (Bharatsinh Solanki) should be replaced and he be appointed in his place..Surjewala said the party respected Vaghela which was reflected in him being given important responsibilities and positions. I will not join any political party," Vaghela, who has had a long association with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the RSS days, said.He said he will send in his resignation from the post of the leader of opposition to Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday. He headed the RJP government in 1996 before merging his party with Congress.It would, however, draw some comfort from the fact that only two Congress MLAs, including his son Mahendrasinh Vaghela, attended the event.Vaghela, after announcing his decision to resign, claimed some Congress leaders had issued a "diktat" to partymen to not attend his birthday celebrations.

We sincerely hope that he will continue to work for the party despite his decision to quit party posts," the Congress leader said. Each one of us needs to understand that interests of the party and its ideals are bigger than the ambition of one person.The Kshatriya strongman, whom his supporters fondly address as Bapu, said he would not join the BJP or any other party. He enjoys considerable support in North Gujarat. Party is bigger than individuals."Neither has Congress taken any disciplinary action against him nor has he been expelled from the party. He hoped Vaghela would continue to work for the party despite quitting his posts. You dontfight the BJP and wont allow those who do to fight them.Gandhinagar/New Delhi: In a body blow to the Congress in Gujarat, one of its tallest leaders Shankarsinh Vaghela, on Friday announced he was quitting the party which hadtaken "supari" (contract) from BJP to facilitate the latters victory in the Assembly elections.Vaghelas decision to quit the Congress months ahead of the election likely in November-December, would be a cause of concern for the party, which has been out of power in the state, once dubbed the BJPs laboratory for testing its hardline Hindutva, for close to two decades now. Both these claims are entirely incorrect," Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said in New Delhi."

The former Gujarat chief minister and Union minister in the UPA government was at loggerheads with the Congress leadership for quite some time due to its reluctance todeclare him the partys chief ministerial face in the Assembly elections.Vaghela, currently the leader of the opposition in the Assembly, had quit BJP over 20 years ago and formed Rashtriya Janata Party."Today, I free myself from Congress and I set Congress free," he said."I have taken this sad decision after giving it considerable thought.Asserting that he was not a "bonded labourer", Vaghela alleged,"You (the Congress) have taken supari (contract) from the BJP to allow that party to win Gujarat. In the face of destruction, they lost theirmind. But I was left with no option as when I told them (state Congress leaders) to do homework to take on the BJP in the coming elections, they got together to push me out of the party," he said.The dramatic announcement By Vaghela, a former RSS volunteer, came at an event organised to celebrate his 77th birthday, a day after the disunity in the state Congress came out in the open when it transpired at least eight of its 57 MLAs had not voted for the joint oppositions presidential Meira Kumar."I am not going to join BJP. This is a decision of the party and its leadership and no individual can decide it.