Finally,nod to tribals rally under ex-CM

The rally was earlier scheduled for June 4 in Patel-dominated Ranjeet Nagar village,but the venue had to be shifted to a government wasteland at Kankoda Koi,where permission was denied on security grounds. The organisers then shifted the venue to a private land in the same village for which permission was granted.

This is the first major tribal rally being held under the leadership of Keshubhai in the run-up to the Assembly elections. It is expected to draw around 15,000 tribals from nearby villages like Navakuan and Rajgadh Palla,organisers said.

The rally is being backed by Mahagujarta Janata Party floated by former BJP leader Gordhan Zadaphia.

Besides Keshubhai and Zadaphia,former Chief Minister Suresh Mehta,ex-minister Nalin Bhatt and other office-bearers of MJP,including its Parliamentary Board head Fakirbhai Chauhan and regional general secretary Jayakant Patel,are expected to attend the rally.

“On May 25,the Gram Panchayat of Ranjeet Nagar in Ganghola taluka had given us permission to hold the rally,but refused to entertain us a day after under political pressure,” said Parbatbhai Damor,a member of Vanvasi Yuva Sangathan.

The rally assumes significance as it is being held on June 10,which will be the second day of BJP’s two-day state executive meet in Rajkot.

While Keshubhai is till a BJP member,he has shared platforms with Zadaphia on quite a few occasions in the recent past,and attacked Chief Minister Narendra Modi and his government,saying the entire state was living in fear.