Confusion over route mars rally

SURAT, OCT 18: Confusion over routes marred Sunday's victory rally' organised in Vyara to felicitate newly elected Mandvi MP Mansinh Pat...

SURAT, OCT 18: Confusion over routes marred Sunday8217;s victory rally8217; organised in Vyara to felicitate newly elected Mandvi MP Mansinh Patel, reflecting the issue of who called the shots in the party.

While the organisers forced the MP to take two different routes to a public meeting, puzzled Patel preferred a motorcycle to reach the venue, where a thin crowd waited to greet him.

According to information, over 10,000 people had assembled at the Ramji Mandir from where the rally started. But confusion arose with Dr Mahindra Shah, vice-president of Vyara Nagar Palika, and BJP Yuva Morcha and Bajrang Dal workers opposing each other over the routes to the venue.

According to locals, Shah 8212; who reportedly joined the BJP on the eve of elections wanted Patel8217;s rally to pass through his ward to reap the benefits during the civic election in December.

However, after he failed to persuade the activists, Dr Shah got down from the van with an intention to boycott the rally. Interestingly, he was also followed by the MP, and his main election convenor Suman Desai, who later reached the venue on a motorcycle. Thus, leaving just BJP district president Pravin Tailor and State general secretary Jayanti Kevat to lead the procession, the rally reached the venue where the duo were forced to announce that the BJP will have no truck with any group in Vyara for the civic elections.

The announcement, according to observers, assumed great significance considering the fact that Desai wanted the BJP to forge an alliance with Shah for the civic elections.

Confirming the dispute over the route, BJP district executive member Gunwantbhai said, 8220;It seems that the two groups were fighting over the route because they wanted to prepare ground for the forthcoming civic poll.8221;

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Ultimately the rally passed through the route decided by the young activists of the party, said Gunwantbhai, asserting that the issue had been resolved yesterday itself. 8220;Now we will go alone in the coming civic elections,8221; he said.

He, however, admitted that Shah had offered his support to Mansinh Patel before the Lok Sabha elections so that the BJP could support his group in the Nagar Palika election. 8220;But it is not binding on the party to abide by it,8221; Gunwantbhai announced. Tailor could not be contacted for his comment on yesterday rally.