Keshubhai factor may queer the pitch for BJP

When Bharat Patel, the youngest son of former chief minister and BJP leader Keshubhai Patel, decided not to contest from his father's seat here, the BJP had heaved a sigh of relief.

When Bharat Patel, the youngest son of former chief minister and BJP leader Keshubhai Patel, decided not to contest from his father’s seat here, the BJP had heaved a sigh of relief.

In less than five days before Junagarh goes to the polls, the entire constituency, comprising 10 seats, remains a hotbed of rebel activity.

In Visavadar, the Keshubhai’s stronghold, BJP’s sitting MLA Kanubhai Bhalara is facing Congress’s Harshadbhai Ribadia and a BJP rebel candidate, Goganbhai, who is from Uma Bharti’s Bharatiya Janvikas party. In the 2002 polls, Kanubhai had won the seat by over 18,000 votes.

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“I very much doubt if Bhalara can retain his seat,” Bharat said.

“I had to leave (the contest) because I felt the party was in a drift. The voice of genuine party workers is not being heard,” Bharat said.

Bharat expressed frustration over the way development plans had been ignored, not only in Visavadar, but in the entire Saurashtra region, which sends at least 58 MLAs to the 182-member Gujarat assembly.

While Bharat appears miffed, he sees no possibility of quitting the party. “Our heart lies with the BJP. We will not switch loyalty. Yet we hope that the party is in the right hands, which is not possible under the given circumstances,” he said.

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He alleged there has been no development work in Visavadar.

Bharat’s feelings are shared by Rajendrabhai, president of the traders association in Junagarh.