Date:27/09/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/09/27/stories/2007092756011200.htm

National

Polls under Modi’s leadership: Rajnath

Special Correspondent

AHMEDABAD: The Bharatiya Janata Party national president, Rajnath Singh, and its State unit president, Purshottam Rupala, on Wednesday conclusively shut the party’s door on the BJP dissidents in the State who have refused to accept the leadership of the Chief Minister, Narendra Modi.

Addressing a largely-attended party workers convention at the sprawling Sardar Patel stadium here, Mr Singh made it clear that the BJP would contest the coming Assembly elections under Mr Modi’s leadership and said he disagreed with the dissidents’ campaign that the average party worker was unhappy with the Chief Minister. He said if Mr Modi was not keeping good relations and honouring their self-respect, as was being campaigned by the dissidents, such a large number of party workers would not have turned up to attend the convention. Mr Singh asked the dissidents to perform their duty if they wanted to be counted instead of campaigning against Mr Modi.