The curious case of Sanjay Joshi posters in Ahmedabad; Narendra Modi targeted

Ahmedabad: Despite the BJP's denials about a growing chasm within its ranks in Gujarat, the writing was on the wall on Tuesday morning - in Ahmedabad, posters  appeared overnight praising Sanjay Joshi, an old rival of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

The posters praise Mr Joshi and say those with narrow minds cannot be big leaders, a swipe at Mr Modi. Nobody has claimed responsibility for the posters, which were also posted in Delhi outside the BJP's office. Gordhan Zadaphia, an ex-BJP man who formed his own party in Gujarat, has been meeting regularly with leaders like Keshubhai Patel, who say Mr Modi's style of governance is autocratic.

Mr Zadaphia, who has served in the past as Gujarat's Home Minister, heads the Mahagujarat Janata Party. He has denied any link to the posters, but said they reflect the state of affairs within the BJP.

Sources say party leaders are privately worried that Mr Modi's detractors are becoming more aggressive. Gujarat will vote for its next government later this year.  

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Mr Joshi was asked to resign from the party six years ago over a sleaze CD. He was re-inducted by BJP president Nitin Gadkari, who, like Mr Joshi, enjoys the confidence of the BJP's parent body, the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh or the RSS. Last month, Mr Modi refused to attend a meeting of senior BJP leaders in Mumbai till Mr Joshi resigned from the party's national executive. Within hours of that happening, Mr Modi altered his itinerary to fly into Mumbai where he was given a hero's welcome by party workers.

A recent editorial in the BJP magazine, the Kamal Sandesh, offered a harsh assessment of Mr Modi and other state leaders like BS Yeddyurappa of Karnataka and Vasundhara Raje of Rajasthan. The article did not mention the leaders, but warned that no leader should consider himself or herself bigger than the party. In an apparent reference to Mr Modi, it said, "People who attain heights should raise the level of their thoughts...it's been seen, people who attain heights glare down at people below them."

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Last month, Mr Patel and other Gujarat BJP leaders like Suresh Mehta held a meeting that was designed to convey their growing impatience with Mr Modi's leadership. Sources said that the BJP is concerned about a possible split in the party.