Not joining BJP: Vaghela after unfollowing Rahul

A day after he 'unfollowed' Rahul Gandhi and other party colleagues on Twitter, Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela on Monday scotched speculation about returning to the BJP.

Vaghela said that his decision to 'unfollow' the Congress vice-president was not personal and that he will remain inactive on social media till the Gujarat assembly polls, due later this year, to stop "spreading of false messages and speculations" about him.

There has been a demand by a section of state Congress leaders to declare Vaghela as the chief ministerial candidate but the party has made it clear that it will not name anyone for the post before the polls.

Vaghela also skipped an event organised by the party's IT cell on Sunday and his actions were seen as an indication of a possible rift in the party. Addressing the media in Gandhinagar on Monday, Vaghela, however, said that he was not in the chief-ministerial race.

He also clarified that he does not have any plans to retire at this stage.

"Though I have already clarified earlier that I am not in the race to be the next chief minister, messages like 'Bapu as CM' were being circulated in the social media. Thus, to avoid any confusion and misunderstanding, I have decided to unfollow everyone," Vaghela known popularly as 'Bapu', told reporters.

"There is nothing personal, as I have unfollowed everyone. I have decided to remain inactive on social media to stop spreading of false messages and speculations about me. I took that decision because it was adversely affecting our poll related planning," the former chief minister of Gujarat said.

Apart from unfollowing Rahul Gandhi and others from his twitter account, 77-year-old Vaghela, who is the Leader of Opposition in Gujarat Assembly, also deleted all the anti-BJP posts from his account, which fuelled speculations that he may leave the Congress and join the saffron party, which he had quit in 1996.