NEWSLINKS US EDITION SOUTH ASIA COLUMNISTS DIARY SPECIALS INTERVIEWS CAPITAL BUZZ REDIFF POLL THE STATES ELECTIONS ARCHIVES US ARCHIVES SEARCH REDIFF
Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi
Prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's caveat to Gujarat Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel to remain within the bounds of party discipline was instrumental in the latter putting in his papers early on Tuesday, but the question of his successor still remained.
"Yes. Bharatiya Janata Party General Secretary Narendra Modi is a front-runner as the successor of Keshubhai Patel, but the official announcement will be made soon after due consultations with the Gujarat ministers and state party legislators," pointed out senior party leader in charge of Gujarat, Madan Lal Khurana.
The chief minister's reluctance to step down was ostensibly over the issue of who would be his successor.
With Modi the firm favourite in this context, Patel, who is not enamoured of this choice, continued to raise objections over the high command's preference for the former.
"That is why Keshubhai in a fit of agitation made the mistake of contending on Tuesday that he would only resign when the question of his successor was tied up. But Vajpayee reminded him that the BJP places a high premium on discipline, and indicated that he should quit," said highly-placed sources in the BJP headquarters.
Since Modi is a hardcore acolyte of Union Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani, Patel is known to be 'allergic' to the former.
It is an open secret within BJP circles that Advani has been gunning for Patel ever since the party not only lost the by-elections in the Sabarkantha parliamentary polls, but also the Sabarmati assembly seat, which is a segment of the home minister's Gandhinagar parliamentary seat.
Since Advani is widely perceived as the 'number two' in the Vajpayee government, the sources emphasised that the home minister was adamant that Patel has to go and be replaced with Modi.
"The party leadership is actively searching for Keshubhai's replacement and we hope that the name will be announced soon," senior party leader Pyarelal Khandelwal told rediff.com.
Asked how soon was 'soon', he quipped, "Only the decision remains to be taken by the leadership."
"Once the leadership takes a decision in consultation with state unit leaders and the Gujarat ministers, it is final and there is no question of anybody defying it," Khandelwal added.
Back to top
Tell us what you think of this report
