By Rafat Nayeem Quadri for TwoCircles.net,
Ahmedabad: Election is round the corner, its heat and vibrations are being felt in Gujarat. The state will witness Assembly elections in the month of December this year. The distinct feature of this election is going to be the ‘X’ factor in the form of MJP (Maha Gujarat Janta Party) which has posed itself the ‘third force’ in Gujarat.
It is an open secret in Gujarat now that the dissidents of Narendra Modi are now ever closer to join MJP to give a direct fight with Modi, sans whom BJP is all good for them.
How far it is ethical for them or not but fact remains that it has sent jitters to the Modi camp (however who is there in Modi camp is still not clear, reportedly it comprises of few select industrialists and businessmen coupled with typical ‘babus’ gang of Gandhinagar).
In an open war initiated by the BJP member and former Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel has been attending meetings and drumming up support against Modi and his government. Helpless BJP of both Gujarat and at the Centre is looking at it with a studied silence and a firm gag.
For Keshubhai Patel it is said to be a final ‘do or die’ effort. He is 84 years old. Dedicated Sangh members he and another dissident of the Modi team Kashiram Rana (from Surat, south Gujarat who was once the Cabinet minister in Vajpayee team) who were not friends before, have reportedly joined hands in principle to oust Modi.
Modi though looks unperturbed is actually caught between two situations. On one hand he has to make his point to the ‘high command’ that he is THE candidate for prime ministership and on the other hand he has to sail through in the Assembly elections with a thumping majority.
But, timing of MJP’s verbal attack on Modi has been slowly becoming scary for Modi. Political pundits reiterate that the MJP cant be ignored. So far Keshubhai Patel (the Patels’ darling), Kashiram Rana, Suresh Mehta and Nitin Bhatt have not resigned from BJP or joined MJP formally. But, they are testing the BJP leadership at all levels. Keshubapa (as he is fondly called) has recently been to Delhi with his bag full of complaints against Modi and his rule, seems to have not been taken too seriously, at least this impression was given by the ‘high command’ to the media. Even as they continue to say that they will take appropriate step at a right time against the BJP dissidents of Gujarat, there are reports that they are in fact encouraging them to go wild and open.
In this political war who is loyal to whom and what is the strategy of which party is still in closed files. Shortly it will open up.