Ahmedabad:
The BJP, currently fire-fighting dissent in Karnataka, has another emergency on its hands. Chief Minister Narendra Modi has upset other senior leaders in Gujarat and sources say the party is teetering on the brink of a split, orchestrated by former Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel, whose enmity with Mr Modi is well-known.
Dissidents like former union minister Kanshiram Rama, former Gujarat Chief Minister Suresh Mehta and Mr Patel gathered this evening at the home of Gordhan Zadaphia, who heads the Mahagujarat Janata Party. Mr Zadaphia has served in the past as Gujarat's Home Minister. He founded his party after he split from the BJP in 2007. Reports suggest that the dissidents are considering switching to Mr Zadaphia's party.
"Emergency was better than rule of Modi," Mr Mehta, who has quit BJP and had formed an NGO Prabudh Nagrik Shakti Manch, told reporters today.
"We have met here to discuss the grave situation which has developed in the state under the present rule. BJP leaders, and those who had quit the party earlier have come together to discuss the situation which is going out of hand in Gujarat," Mr Mehta said.
BJP leader and former Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel in the last couple of months has been very vocal against Mr Modi and has repeatedly said that his Patel community is living under fear in Gujarat. Both Mr Patel and Mr Mehta, who was the Gujarat Chief Minister between 1995 and 1996, are prominent leaders of the community.
"We are worried about the common mass of Gujarat..... We are discussing every aspect in the interest of the public because the public has gone out of mind of the ruling government," Mr Mehta added.
According to sources, the disgruntled leaders came together today to discuss their strategy for the state elections, scheduled to be held later this year. Mr Patel has indicated to his party that he wants to be given a considerable say in deciding who the party selects as its candidates for the state elections to be held later this year. His group finds Mr Modi to be an autocratic leader.
In the run-up to the last elections in 2007, Mr Patel had taken a tough stand against Mr Modi. The party's top leadership was forced to intervene and asked Mr Patel to end his campaign against Mr Modi.