In Modi country, knife called Keshubhai’s out

Speaking to The Indian Express, Keshubhai attributed the BJP’s poor showing at the hustings to two factors: growing resentment among MLAs and workers and the way the power tariff hike was handled just ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. ‘‘The poll results should be an eyeopener for the party leadership. I will go to Delhi next week and brief senior leaders about what went wrong with the party during the elections.’’

‘‘I am not going to complain to Central leaders about anybody. But it’s my duty to suggest certain corrective measures they ought to initiate to restore the party’s image in Gujarat,’’ said Keshubhai, an old Modi critic.

On the possibility of a change of guard in the state, Keshubhai said it was ‘‘upto the party high command to decide.’’

Although he declined comment when he was reminded how he had been told to make way for Modi in 2001 after the party’s defeat in by-elections, he couldn’t resist observing: ‘‘The clouds have started gathering…’’ ‘‘A number of party MLAs and workers come to my residence to meet me daily. Even legislators who had not been in contact for long have begun calling me after the poll reverses. They feel some corrective measures should be initiated to prevent the rot that has set in the party’s organisational as well executive wings,’’ Keshubhai said.

He confirmed that Vallabh Kathiriya and Harin Pathak, re-elected from Rajkot and Ahmedabad, Surendranagar MP Soma Ganda Patel and Bhavna Chikhaliya, Chandresh Patel were already in Delhi to inform the Central leadership about what led to the party’s poor showing.

He said the party organisation had almost collapsed in the last 18 months and that he had been receiving numerous complaints from party MLAs and workers on how they were being ‘‘ignored by those sitting in the government.’’ This, he said, may have discouraged them from actively campaigning for party candidates.

Keshubhai said farmers, who had been overwhelmingly voting for the BJP in successive general elections in Gujarat, remained aloof this time to express their ‘‘anger’’ over the hike in power tariff rates. ‘‘Even today, farmer leaders from different districts come to my residence regularly, seeking redressal of their grievances,’’ he said.