Amid anti-Modi campaign,BJP picks Keshubhai’s hometown for party meet

This comes at a time when the CM is facing criticism for his style of working from within and outside the party,including the RSS,while politically decisive Saurashtra is ‘abuzz’ with anti-Modi drive being led by his predecessor.

In the run-up to the Assembly elections to be held later this year,Keshubhai has intensified his campaign with the support of a few Congress and BJP leaders from his politically influential Leuva Patel community.

Only last week Keshubhai held a series of meetings with “unhappy” BJP-VHP members at various places in Rajkot,Amreli and Junagadh districts.

Now,Modi and other senior party leaders,including state BJP chief R C Faldu,national vice-president Purshottam Rupala,have opted for this region to chalk out strategies with 350-odd office-bearers for the elections.

Given the significant number of Patel voters in the region,which can influence outcome of 30 seats in Saurashtra,senior leaders maintained that even national party leaders would keep a close watch on the meet.

Besides being the hometown of Keshubhai,what adds to the importance of the meet venue is the fact that Rajkot has remained the centre of huge conventions held in the name of caste functions since 2007,during which Modi’s leadership has been questioned.

Also,this is the seat where Modi had played a gamble of changing the caste equations in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections academician Kiran Bhalodia,a Kadva Patel. However,for the first time Congress candidate Kunvarji Bavalia,a Koli,won.

In 2001,when Modi needed a seat in the state Assembly for the first time following his appointment as CM in place of Keshubhai,he chose to contest his maiden election from Rajkot.

He won from the Rajkot-II constituency,which was vacated by Finance Minister Vaju Vala for him.