Emboldened by the BJP’s poor show at the Lok Sabha polls, party dissidents in Gujarat are reportedly regrouping in a bid to revive the “anti-Modi campaign” they had abandoned nearly five years ago.

Some prominent BJP leaders, including former Union ministers Kashiram Rana and Dr Vallabh Kathiria have decided to make a strong representation before the party high command against Modi’s “autocratic style of functioning” in the state.

Dr Kathiria said: “At present, I am camping in Delhi. I have sought an appointment with our party’s senior national leaders, including party president Rajnath Singh. After meeting them, I will return to Gujarat in a couple of days to have a meeting with like-minded people in the state to discuss the situation arising out of the party’s below expectation performance in the LS elections.”

He told Newsline over the phone from Delhi that the BJP lost at least half-a-dozen seats in the elections due to a wrong selection of certain candidates handpicked by Modi. Besides, internal bickerings within the state BJP had cost the party dearly at the hustings. Besides, tainted candidates imported from the Congress had also been fielded in some constituencies where they lost.

Kathiria, a former Union minister in the Vajpayee-led NDA government, who was denied re-nomination from Rajkot, said Modi had assured the high command of winning 20 to 22 of the total 26 seats for the party from Gujarat.

Now that the BJP could increase its tally by just one seat, the high command should seek the CM’s explanation on this, he said, adding: “Although the party could add only one seat to its tally, its vote share in 2009 went down by 0.9 per cent as compared to 2004.”

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