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Modi-Keshubhai rift widening

By Manas Dasgupta

GANDHINAGAR JULY 25. While the Gujarat Congress under the new president, Shankarsinh Waghela, has started preparations for the coming Assembly elections in full swing, the ruling BJP is suffering from an intense leadership struggle.

The rift between the Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, and his predecessor, Keshubhai Patel, seems to be widening. While Mr. Modi is wary of resurrecting Mr. Patel in the coming elections for the fear of losing his chair if the BJP returned to power, the latter is unwilling to accept any responsibility without being assured of a positive return.

While Mr. Modi sent his emissary to Mr. Patel with an offer of the State party presidentship, his supporters are trying to convince the party high command against replacing the president, Rajendrasinh Rana, at this stage, though for obvious reasons he is keen on seeing his predecessor commit himself to actively campaign for the party

Realising the important role Mr. Patel can play in casteist politics to match Mr. Waghela's trump card against Mr. Modi's communal card, the BJP high command was reportedly favouring bringing the former Chief Minister back as the State party president in place of Mr. Rana, who most of the party insiders believe would not be able to match his Congress counterpart.

Mr. Patel, who is still keeping his cards close to his chest, has told some of his supporters that in view of the "vicious" atmosphere in the State party and lack of cooperation from the Chief Minister, he was unwilling to accept the post of the president. Again citing ill-health, Mr. Patel said he would campaign only for some "selected" candidates.

Without the active support of Mr. Patel, who had initially refused to campaign for Mr. Modi in the February Assembly by-elections, the BJP may find itself in dire straits to mobilise the sizeable "Patel" votes particularly in the Saurashtra and south Gujarat regions. His importance was again underlined in the last couple of days when the Patel leaders from the Saurashtra region called on him and threw their weight behind the former Chief Minister.

Mr. Modi, however, is worried that if Mr. Patel is made the party president or the chairman of the election committee having the final say in the selection of candidates, he would emerge a strong claimant for the chief ministership. Mr. Modi, who feels almost isolated in the State BJP with most other leaders in the party having turned against him, is keen on nipping in the bud his potential challengers.

The growing differences between Mr. Patel and Mr. Modi, which started after the former assumed office after the 1998 elections and deteriorated further with Mr. Modi elbowing him out in October last year, is making the task difficult for the party high command. The party believed that it could touch the winning post if the two worked in unison.

The Congress on its part is learnt to be exploring the possibility of avoiding any split in the anti-BJP votes by forging alliance with as many opposition parties as possible. Among these are the Nationalist Congress Party and the Samajwadi Party, though they still have no roots in the State. They are unlikely to win any seat but can spoil the chances of the Congress by taking a chunk of the anti-BJP votes.

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