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Gujarat dissidents unwilling to give up

By Jyotirmaya Sharma

Ahmedabad: Despite the three-hour meeting between the BJP's central leadership and the dissidents in Gujarat on Thursday, the issue of change of leadership is far from settled. The former BJP president, Venkiah Naidu, said no decision had been taken on the question of leadership.Sources close to the dissidents dismiss the theory that a Cabinet expansion or setting up of a co-ordination committee would pacify the rebels. They argue that after being neglected for two-and-a-half years, a few cosmetic gestures will not suffice. ``Even if the coordination committee is formed, Mr. Modi will see to it that it does not function,'' says a senior dissident leader.

An interesting fallout of the events of the last few weeks, culminating in the Thursday meeting with the party president, L.K. Advani, is that the dissidents have turned their anger towards the central leadership of the party, including Mr. Advani. They blame the party leadership in Delhi for not being in tune with the political reality in the State.

`No compromise'

They are clear that their leaders have made no moves for a compromise. ``If the three main leaders, Keshubhai, Suresh Mehta and Kashiram Rana, were to compromise on this issue, the legislators would throw up a new leadership and continue their campaign against Modi,'' says a prominent dissident leader. Sources close to the dissident leaders say that there was a heated exchange between Mr. Keshubhai Patel and Mr. Om Mathur, observer for the BJP in Gujarat. This, they point out, is not a sign of compromise, but of forcefully putting the dissident case.

Dissident legislators argue that the State has been run for too long by a ``coterie'' around Mr. Modi consisting of Amit Shah, Bhupendrasinh Chudasma, I.K. Jadeja and Anandiben Patel. The consequence of Mr. Modi's centralised style of functioning has been the weakening of the party structure and the party organisation. They argue that the party leadership can ignore this only at the peril of disintegration of the party in Gujarat.

Another interesting indication of the extent of dissatisfaction against the Gujarat Chief Minister is the fact that the former Home Minister, Govardhan Jadaphia, a known Praveen Togadia protege is part of the rebel camp, and so is Dhanraj Kella, MLA from Surendranagar, who has had the backing of the RSS. Dissident leaders see this as the tacit blessings of the VHP and the RSS in the campaign against Mr. Modi.

Political commentators are awaiting signals from both camps sooner than later. Dissident leaders are hoping that Mr. Keshubhai Patel will make the next move as early as Friday or Saturday. ``It is a fight to the finish, not only because of Modi, but because the non-representative and unelected leaders in the party have decided to arbitrate the fate of the BJP in Gujarat,'' says a senior dissident leader.

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