There are no permanent friends or foes in politics — only permanent interests. So, the same set of people who opposed Keshubhai Patel in 2001, are now siding with him in the oust-Modi campaign.Rajya Sabha MP A.K. Patel, BJP chief Rajendrasinh Rana, former CM Suresh Mehta, Surat MP Kashiram Rana, MLA Dhirubhai Gajera and others played a key role in getting Keshubhai replaced as CM. Now leading the campaign against Narendra Modi, some of them are finding it difficult to justify the volte face.Within a year of becoming Rajya Sabha MP in 2000, A.K. Patel had told the high command that CM Keshubhai was losing popular base. Now he says: ‘‘I believe that the Keshubhai government was one of the best the state has seen. But there were a few problems which we felt would affect the party.There was nothing personal against Keshubhai.’’Suresh Mehta was a minister in the Modi government in 2001-02 and was all praise for Modi during the Gaurav Yatra. But now he is one of the senior leaders who, along with Patel and Kashiram Rana, heard disgruntled MLAs complain about Modi’s style of functioning at Keshubhai’s residence a week back.‘‘Neither did I demand Keshubhai’s ouster in 2001 nor am I asking for the present CM’s removal.I just listened to disgruntled MLAs at Keshubhai’s residence,’’ he said.Surat MLA Dhiru Gajera had carried out a signature campaign in 1998-99 against then CM Keshubhai while Rajendrasinh Rana had told the high command that the party’s debacle in the civic polls in 2000 was due to the poor show of the government led by Keshubhai. Kashiram Rana was part of the oust-Keshubhai brigade. Now, though, he is anti-Modi. He says: ‘‘I was not against Keshubhai. And I did not attend A.K. Patel’s birthday bash. But this time, I had to listen to the grievances of party workers, who say they are being insulted,’’ he said.
