CM will stay, under ‘proper guidance’

For the dissidents, who have been running a campaign against Modi’s ‘‘dictatorial style’’ and his refusal to ‘‘share power’’, today’s meeting was a big success. The rebel MLAs may not have succeeded in ousting Modi but they have forced the BJP leadership to hear them out. ‘‘We did not expect the meeting to last this long. It started as a breakfast meeting and continued almost till lunch,’’ a BJP leader said.

‘‘Problems between the government and the party, the need for greater coordination, certain grievances of the legislators, views on the functioning of the government were all freely discussed,’’ Naidu said. It was decided that the party will ‘‘address all the issues’’ and Modi will be given ‘‘proper guidance.’’

The anti-Modi leaders like state chief Rajendrasinh Rana, Keshubhai Patel, Sureshbhai Mehta and Kanshiram Rana gave several instances of Modi’s high-handed style of functioning that have alienated affiliates of the Parivar too.

The issues include the appointment of a state unit president and setting up a coordination committee to smoothen the government-party interface. Both decisions will be implemented after the BJP’s national executive and national council session on April 5 and 6.

The expansion of the Gujarat ministry — to fill the 12 vacancies — and appointments to various state and district boards will also take place as part of the grievance redressal scheme.

The biggest issue remains Modi’s ‘‘behavourial problems’’, sources said. While he will be forced to absorb rebels into the party and the government apparatus, ‘‘unless he gives up his abrasive manner and completely changes his attitude’’, the problem will not go away, a BJP leader said.

Apart from Modi’s usefulness as a Hindutva icon, the other reason for the leadership not wanting to remove Modi right now is the absence of an alternative. But if the anti-Modi campaign continues in the state, the party will have to step in and groom a successor.