New Delhi: Bowing to the demands of his detractors, the Congress today (Jan 31, 2004) removed Shankarsinh Vaghela as president of Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) and appointed in his place former Union Minister B K Gadvi to tone up the party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Vaghela, who had attracted the party's ire over his "danda sena" which he was forced to disband sometime back, was appointed as the GPCC chief in 2002 to take on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s Narendra Modi in view of his earlier Sangh Parivar background.

Vaghela had rebelled against the BJP in the mid-'90s and had become Chief Minister after toppling a BJP Government.

Reacting to the high command's decision, Vaghela said that he was not "taken aback" or "sad" about it.

"I welcome the decision made by the high command. I have no grudges."

"It has not come as a surprise. I had already tendered my resignation to party president Sonia Gandhi after Gujarat Assembly polls. But the decision was kept pending," he said.

Vaghela said he harboured "no grudge" against anyone in the party and asked the high command to initiate stringent action to quell the factionalism and infighting that has been plaguing the Congress.

Replying to a question, he said it was too early to say whether he would contest the coming Lok Sabha polls.

However, he maintained that he would actively work for the party in the coming polls.