Mumbai: Gujarat was among the first states where the Congress harnessed the power of social media in the 2012 assembly polls to counter the campaign of Narendra Modi, then the Gujarat chief minister. Although the party lost that election, there was one new name that gained prominence internally for driving the Congress’ social media presence in the state — Rohan Gupta.
The same leader’s name has now become a subject of embarrassment within the Gujarat Congress.
Rohan resigned from the Congress Friday citing a “constant defamatory campaign” against him by “one of the senior leaders of the communications department” after Rohan decided to not contest the Lok Sabha election despite being picked as a candidate.
His decision to bow out of the race, attributing his decision to his father’s ill health, had also turned into a political hot potato within the Gujarat Congress. The Congress had picked Gupta’s name for the Ahmedabad East parliamentary constituency.
He announced both decisions — the first to not contest, and the second to resign — on the social media platform X.
On Monday, he shared a copy of his letter to Gujarat Congress president Shaktisinh Gohil about his decision to not contest, and the put up his letter to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge announcing his decision to quit the party Friday.
Amidst the personal crisis , I spent last 3 days with my father while he is battling serious health conditions which has really helped me understand his perspective. He narrated the incidences of betrayal and sabotage for last 40 years and how the leaders got away in spite of… pic.twitter.com/b4qi5bE7SG
— Rohan Gupta (@rohanrgupta) March 22, 2024
Gupta’s resignation letter said, “I am deeply pained to inform you that constant humiliation and character assassination by one of the senior leaders connected with Communication Department of the party for last two years (which many senior party leaders are aware of) and now at the time of personal crisis which has compelled me to take this decision (sic).”
Gupta was one of the 43 candidates the Congress had announced on 12 March.
Behind Gupta’s decision is the tale of a father-son feud, much drama, and even whispers about the leader’s erstwhile business links with an entrepreneur said to be close to Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Gupta’s father, Rajkumar Gupta, was once an MLA in the state and had unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha election in 2004.
Parthivraj Kathawadiya, a spokesperson of the Gujarat Congress, told ThePrint Friday that what Rohan has chosen to do has become a format for anyone looking to jump ship to the BJP. “The format is to defame the party, its leaders and clear the way to go to the BJP. He was given so much by the party. He was made a national leader, national spokesperson, all of this despite him having lost the corporation election (Ahmedabad civic poll) in 2010. The Rohan Gupta brand wouldn’t have existed without the Congress and its leaders.”
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A father-son feud
A senior Congress leader from Gujarat, who wished to not be named, said Rohan wanted to contest the election in 2019 too, but didn’t get a ticket.
“This time, he did get the party’s nomination, but his father did not want him to contest. Perhaps he knew that chances of victory are slim. Moreover, Rohan Gupta has not worked his way ground up in the state, and directly hobnobbed at the national level. So, there was no guarantee of any support from the ground level,” a senior Congress functionary who has worked closely with Rohan told ThePrint.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Gupta said it was a very difficult decision for him as he was all set to contest the poll this time, and that his withdrawal should not be seen from a political lens.
“I had decided to fight knowing it won’t be an easy seat. But my father was in the hospital for three days. He was not convinced (that I should contest). Fifteen years ago, he had to undergo a bypass surgery. I tried very hard to convince him (now). Yesterday, when I was in a meeting, I heard of his resignation from the party…. We fought a little bit, and he fell unconscious. I immediately went to the hospital. His only condition was that I had to give in writing that I will not contest, only then he will talk. I know that this will impact my political career, but I don’t think any greed can be more than respect for your father,” Rohan told media persons.
Hiren Banker, Gujarat Congress spokesperson, told ThePrint Thursday that Rohan’s father’s health had been delicate for a few years now.
“Rajkumarji thought that since his son is national spokesperson (of the Congress) with organisational experience in different states, the party can use Rohanji in other positions rather than making him an MP in charge of just one constituency,” he said.
Amid this entire episode, there were also talks within the Gujarat Congress of the Guptas having been in touch with BJP leaders. While Rohan Gupta’s resignation letter did not name any leader, it is these talks that he was alluding to as being “defamatory.”
Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Rohan Gupta had said, “There are some leaders, I don’t know at whose behest they are saying all this. Those who are showing me the rule book, I would like to say till date I have never spoken negatively about anyone. Even when I am in debates, I never make any personal criticism. Don’t mistake my humility to be my compulsion.”
Rohan Gupta’s growth within Congress
Rajkumar Gupta was an MLA from Janata Morcha party before he joined the Congress. Party leaders say he served as the Ahmedabad City Congress president and unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha election from Ahmedabad constituency in 2004.
“Rohan Gupta became associated with the party actively after 2010. A little after that, the Gujarat Congress set up a new cell for social media and created a network across the state. He was smart, educated, and willing to work, and was given the responsibility of driving the initiative. Over the next few years, our IT cell became the role model for every Pradesh Congress Committee and he travelled to different states, helped set up similar cells and train people,” a second senior Gujarat Congress functionary said.
The Guptas were close to veteran Congress leader, the late Ahmed Patel, and Rohan’s work on social media cells put him in touch with the national leadership of the party.
However, Rohan would often have conflicts with the Congress’ then head of social media, actor Divya Spandana.
In 2019, Rohan Gupta took over as the party’s national social media head, and in just three years was replaced by Supriya Shrinate without any reason ascribed for the switch. The decision, however, came following an unsavoury controversy over his family’s links with a supposed aide of Amit Shah.
According to Congress sources, Rohan is said to be in the good books of K.C. Venugopal, Congress general secretary, and was accommodated as an All India Congress Committee spokesperson, making him a frequent face on national television debates.
Controversial links
The Guptas own the Comet Group of companies, which has businesses related to manufacturing of paper products and chemicals. The family also owns an insurance broking business and runs a charity, the Gujarat Lok Seva Trust.
Gujarat Congress leaders say that Rohan had to do considerable firefighting internally when his family members’ names cropped up in a business promoted by Ajay Patel, chairman of Gujarat State Cooperative Bank and Ahmedabad District Cooperative Bank. His wife Yogita and brother Arpan were said to be investors in Sunbirds Infrabuild, a limited liability partnership.
Rohan had told The Indian Express that his wife and brother had resigned from the firm as soon as they realised it was promoted by Ajay Patel.
Patel, said to be a confidante of Amit Shah, had filed a defamation case against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in 2018 for his remarks on the Ahmedabad District Cooperative Bank in relation to demonetisation, alleging it had benefited Amit Shah.
This article has been updated to include latest developments.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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