BJP begins key meet in Rajkot,shrugs Keshubhai off,says Joshi won’t matter

Keshubhai,one of the tallest leaders of the influential Leuva Patel community,has hardly attended such party meets ever since he was removed unceremoniously as CM and replaced with Narendra Modi in 2001.

Most BJP leaders maintained he was not expected for the meet. “He has not attended a single meet in the last 10 years. How can he be expected now?,” said a senior party leader.

The state BJP also made light of Keshubhai’s recent anti-Modi utterances. “People can have their personal opinion. But the truth is that the development by the Modi government has been accepted at all levels,from gram panchayat to Assembly,” Jadeja said,referring to Keshubhai’s refrain that “Gujaratis are living in fear”.

The BJP also termed the ouster of Sanjay Joshi from the BJP a “personal matter” which would not impact elections in Gujarat since Joshi’s work for the past many years was outside the state”.

Modi remains the ‘poster’ boy…

Going by the posters,Modi loomed large while national BJP leaders remained in the background.

From Greenland Chowky,the entry point to Rajkot (east) from Ahmedabad,to the venue at Atmiya College (western end),Modi’s posters adorned all the main roads. Posters with L K Advani’s photographs were few,and were away from public glare.

On the 5-km stretch on Kalawad Road where the venue is located and 3-km-long Race Course Ring Road where airport and Circuit House are located,not a single electrical pole was left by the BJP without a Modi poster. On Kalawad Road,even hoardings endorsing products were covered with Modi posters.

…But Faldu plays the chief

State president Ranchchodbhai Faldu,usually low-profile,was at the centre stage on Saturday. While Modi made a silent entry just minutes before the start of the meet around 2 pm,Faldu was driven to the venue from Mahila College chowk in a convoy of over 1,000 motorcycles. Faldu,who was flanked by national BJP vice-president Purshottam Rupala and others in an open jeep,was apparently put in the spotlight to counter his fellow Leuva Patel Keshubhai’s campaign against Modi.

Kadar Salot,general secretary of state BJP’s minority cell,said around 630 Muslim men also took part in the motorcycle rally.