His anti-Modi show bombs,Keshubhai snipes — with old lines

The first setback came for Keshubhai when Nirma group owner Karsanbhai Patel,a leading industrialist in the state,failed to show up for the meet. Organisers of the meet said he pulled out at the last minute.

Though leaders like Union minister Dinsha Patel,former state Congress president and MLA Sidharath Patel and Kagvad Khodal Dham Trust head Naresh Patel were there on time,they went into a huddle when they saw the small crowd,mainly of Leuva Patels.

To make the matters worse for them,not a single leader from Kadva Patel community turned up,as they had for other Patel community events like the one at Kagvad early this year.

In his speech,Keshubhai steered clear of any political comments,just repeating what he has been saying of late,“Dar ke age Jit Hai (Beyond the fear lies the victory).” He said he would not make any political comments since it was a community event.

Meanwhile,state’s Agriculture Minister Dileep Sanghani,himself a Patel,dismissed rumours that the state government prevailed on the Nirma group’s owner to stay away from the event.

Asked why he did not attend,Sanghani said,“I was not invited. Are we not part of the community? What sort of Patidar sammelan is this?”

However,organisers claimed all the BJP ministers,including Sanghani,were sent invitations.

Asked about Keshubhai,Sanghani said he personally respected him. “But all of us know what he has been doing everyday for the last two months,” the minister added.

Keshubhai,nursing his wounds ever since he was replaced with Modi as the chief minister in 2001,has been criticising the Modi government at every public function for the past few months.