Keshubhai’s no-show irks BJP rebel leaders

AHMEDABAD: Former Gujarat chief minister and BJP rebel camp leader Keshubhai Patel's failure to turn up at the important Patidar (Patel) gathering in Surat, apparently due to illness of a family member, has set tongues wagging within his community. Many Patels were heard complaining at the meet that they were upset with Keshubhai for backing out "when it mattered the most".

A rebel Patel MLA, also a former minister told DNA Money that he received a number of messages from Patidars after the meet to bring about a change in guard. "The Patidar meet was to be a show of strength for us to warn the BJP party high command that if they did not remove Chief Minister Narendra Modi, the Patels would move away from the party ahead of the Assembly polls. So Keshubhai's absence came as a shock," he said.

The show of strength by the Patels at Surat on Monday, was clearly a community affair driven by the regrouping rebels. But the Rebel leaders are worried because on previous occasions too when they built the momentum to take on Modi, Keshubhai had buckled under the pressure of the high command and derailed their campaign.

But with large number of Patidars turning out at the Surat meet to back their cause, rebel leaders said, it was important now to continue with their campaign. "Keshubhai's absence was a major setback for us and unless we find another strong leader to replace him now, there will be a division in our ranks which will ruin our campaign," said another rebel MLA.

So is a change in guard in the rebel camp in the offing? BJP sources said, with Keshubhai clearly under pressure from the party high command to steer clear of taking on Modi ahead of polls, the young turks in the rebel camp are getting restless. "We feel it is time that he assume a more advisory role, and let us take the campaign forward," a rebel said.

Among names of strong contenders doing rounds as the successor to Keshubhai are former home minister Gordhan Zadaphia, former union minister Vallabhbhai Kathiria and Dhirubhai Gajera. All three are powerful leaders of the Leuva Patel community, which has been sidelined by the Modi government.

Zadaphia, is the strongest contender, and was the one who spoke to the media to do some quick damage control after Keshubhai backed out of the meet. "The event was not just to felicitate Keshubhai but 11 leading lights of Patidar community. So his absence does not meet that the event was unsuccessful," he had said.

The rebels also sense that once they have a credible leader, they may also get support from farmers and the Koli community both of whom have been vocal in their criticism of the government.

They already have the support of the VHP, whose leader Pravin Togadia inaugurated the Surat meet. Togadia has fallen out with Modi, and exhorted Patidars at the meet, to "vote out the enemy" and not let "Sardar Patel's legacy to be hijacked".