Mutiny brews under Patel roof

However, the coming together of Keshubhai Patel, Suresh Mehta, and Kashiram Rana, who have their own support groups in the party, at Wednesday’s meeting at Patel’s bungalow, might have ruffled feathers in the Modi camp.

Also expressing solidarity with the group were BJP MPs A.K. Patel, Vallabh Kathiriya, and Soma Ganda Patel; state BJP spokesman Nalin Bhatt; and former MPs Bhavna Chikhaliya, Chandresh Patel and Gordhan Zadaphia.

After hearing out the MLAs, Patel and the other MPs left for Delhi to attend the Budget session of Parliament. Said Kathiriya: ‘‘We’ll now carry the anti-Modi battle to Delhi and brief the high command. The only solution to stem the rot is a change of leadership.’’

MLAs began trooping in at Patel’s house soon after Question Hour was over in the Assembly. Modi apparently asked three of his trusted ministers — Ashok Bhatt, Amit Shah and Kaushik Patel — to try to prevent MLAs from visiting his archrival’s bungalow. By 4 pm, however, more than 40 MLAs had made their representations. Surat MLA Dhirubhai Gajera made trips to the Assembly to fetch more and more MLAs and by evening he claimed that 65 MLAs had come personally to make representations while 10 others had faxed letters of support.

‘‘Even if the chief minister expanded his ministry and reconstituted boards and corporations, MLAs will not be pacified,’’ said Kathiriya. ‘‘This is not the issue at all. The real issue is the growing discontent among MLAs against the CM and their demand for a change of leadership.’’

Among the MLAs who met Keshubhai were some ‘‘new faces’’, who had not attended the famous birthday bash of A.K. Patel — Bharat Pandya, Narendrasinh Jadeja, Jitu Waghela, Bimal Shah, and Gopal Dhuva.

‘‘I won’t comment on the leadership issue but the high command should take the situation more seriously. It has become difficult to face people in our constituency,’’ said Waghela.

Meanwhile, A.K. Patel has shot off a letter to Modi, taking strong exception to some remarks the chief minister made on Sunday at a Jyoti Gram function in Vijapur. Modi had reportedly said that he was being opposed by ‘‘those who indulge in corruption’’.