Dissident BJP leader Keshubhai Patel is likely to form a new
political front against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the
Assembly polls slated for the year-end.
The dissident group of the ruling BJP today met at Patel's
residence here and declared they would make a "big announcement" in
the last week of July on their future course of action.
"Keshubhai has decided to form a third front, which
will challenge the rule of the Modi government," a source close to Patel said.
If that materialises, Gujarat, where BJP and Congress are
the two dominant parties, will witness a triangular contest for the first time
in the elections scheduled in December.
"Keshubhai and other prominent leader of BJP Kanshiram
Rana have not registered themselves as primary members of the party,"
former Chief Minister Suresh Mehta told reporters.
Mehta said they would hold a statewide public meeting at the
end of July and announce their next action plan.
"Wait for our announcement that will be made during the
July end meeting. We are firmly behind Keshubhai and will do whatever he says.
If he forms a new front, we will join him and he is also welcome to lead our
party (MJP)," said Gordhan Zadafia, a former Home Minister in the Modi
Government, who quit BJP and later formed his own party.
The anti-Modi faction would organise public meetings in the
eight municipal corporation areas of the city, he said.
Those present for the meeting included Rana, Zadafia, chief
of Maha-Gujarat Janta Party, among others.
Patel, who has openly criticised Modi at various public
meetings in the last few months, had recently met senior party leaders in
Delhi.
Patel was unceremoniously removed from the Chief Minister's
post in 2001 and replaced by Modi.
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