Keshubhai foes regrouping

By Our Special Correspondent

GANDHINAGAR, NOV.24. With no hint from the BJP central leadership of any action against the Gujarat Chief Minister, Mr. Keshubhai Patel, after the party's rout in the municipal corporation and panchayat elections in September, dissidents have started regrouping to voice their dissatisfaction over the style of functioning of the State leadership.

Under the garb of ``strengthening the party,'' the dissidents planned a meeting here for Sunday but postponed it by a week. The reason, according to a spokesman of the group, is to ensure that all disgruntled elements reach here.

Among the organisers are supporters of the Industries Minister and number two in the Patel Cabinet, Mr Suresh Mehta, the Union Textile Minister, Mr. Kashiram Rana, and the party's national general secretary, Mr. Narendra Modi, a sworn enemy of the Chief Minister.

The coming together of the three anti-Patel forces, since Mr. Modi was removed from State politics at the behest of Mr. Patel three years ago, is viewed here as a major challenge to his leadership.

The party's rout in the local elections demonstrated an erosion of Mr. Patel's popularity and the party base. But the Chief Minister held the party organisation responsible for the debacle. A weak State party leadership nodded in agreement with everything, he said on the defeat.

The dissidents, however, argued that when Mr. Patel claimed credit for the party's good showing in the parliamentary elections last year, he should share the blame for the debacle in the local elections also.

The Patel Government's move to bail out rich builders, promulgating an ordinance to regularise illegal constructions in urban areas on payment of an ``impact fee,'' and its ``squandering'' public funds to install fire safety devices in high-rise buildings, a job which was the responsibility of the builders, who were at the receiving end of the High Court ruling for violation of building by-laws, would tarnish the BJP's image, the dissidents' fear.

The dissidents were hopeful that Mr. Patel would at least be told by the Central leadership to expand his Cabinet and reduce the burden on some Ministers to enable them to become more responsive to the needs of the people. But Mr. Patel has refused to even fill up the vacancies caused by the deaths of three Ministers or the resignation of the Health Minister, Mr. Ashok Bhatt.

The rank of the dissidents in the 117-member BJP legislature party has swelled to about 60, including a large number of Mr. Patel's Cabinet colleagues, it is claimed.

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Section  : Other States
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