By IANS
Rajkot : Dissidents in Gujarat’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Friday dared the party leadership as they urged voters in the state to support the Congress party in the forthcoming assembly elections and defeat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
In a show of strength, the rebels organised a rally at the Race Course ground here under the banner of Sardar Patel Utkarsh Sewa Mandal. The mega meet drew between 150,000 and 200,000 people.
Asking people and especially farmers to throw out the Modi government, the rebel leaders, however, clarified that they were not joining the Congress.
They were very much part of the BJP though they were opposed to Modi’s leadership as his government was responsible for the plight of farmers and the jobless, speakers said.
Vasant Gajera, brother of rebel BJP legislator Dhiru Gajera, presided over the rally.
Two BJP MPs, Vallabh Kathiria representing Rajkot and Somabhai Patel from Surendranagar, were among the speakers. The duo dared the party leadership to take action against them for attending the meeting and raising their “voice of conscience”.
Veteran BJP leader and former chief minister Keshubhai Patel, who has emerged as the rallying point of the dissidents, did not attend the meeting. The rally organisers said Thursday that he had not been invited.
The state assembly elections are due by December.