26 MLAs want keshubhai out

In a fresh signature campaign aimed at a change in leadership, at least 26 "frustrated" Gujarat BJP MLAs including three ministers have demanded the ouster of chief minister Keshubhai Patel.

According to the protestors this move is "to save the BJP from going extinct in Gujarat." Gujarat is the only state in the country where the BJP has an absolute majority in the Assembly.

The signature campaign is believed to be "secretly blessed" by BJP national secretary Narendra Modi and Union minister Kashiram Rana, who reportedly feel that the Keshubhai Patel government has completely failed in "tackling the post earthquake scenario in Gujarat." Mr Rana however denied this and Mr Modi was not available for comment.

Minister of state for mines and minerals Dilip Patel is spearheading this latest anti-Keshubhai campaign. He is strongly backed by senior minister Narottam Patel and minister of state Mahendra Trivedi. In a day of political speculations, 26 MLAs got busy mustering signatures demanding the ouster of Keshubhai Patel for having failed to have given a good governance. In a six line letter, which these MLAs plan to send to national BJP president Mr Jana Krishnamurthy, they stress on points like, the present government’s failure to reflect the ethos that the BJP stands for and also mentions that the government has damaged the BJP party in an irreparable manner.

Further, the letter also says that Keshubhai Patel failed to take note of his inadequacies as a leader even after the drubbing in the panchayat and civic elections.

Rampant allegations of corruption do not seem baseless, as there is a strong feeling that bureaucrats are ruling Gujarat in absence of an effective political leadership. The present government has also failed in conducting proper relief and rehabilitation work in the post earthquake scenario.

One of the ministers who has signed the letter told Thursday, "We expect at least 15 more signatures after which we plan to dispatch this letter to the national party president."

However, the Chief Minister’s Office had a different tale to tell. At least three of the MLAs who had signed the letter demanding the chief minister’s ouster called upon Mr Keshubhai Patel and apologized for their ‘mistake.’

Republished from Asian Age