GANDHINAGAR: Dissidents in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Gujarat have decided to demand an election for the State party president's post.

A meeting of dissident leaders held at the residence of the former Chief Minister and leader of the anti-Modi camp, Keshubhai Patel, here on Thursday cautioned the party leadership against any `arbitrary choice' for the new president.

The meeting was attended by another former Chief Minister Suresh Mehta, the former Union Ministers, Kashiram Rana and Vallabh Kathiriya.

It decided to warn the party's central leadership against following the `dictates' of Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Doubting the impartiality of the national general secretary and in-charge of the party affairs in the State, Om Prakash Mathur, considered to be a strong Modi supporter, the dissidents insisted on an election, instead of the general practice of nomination by the high command.

Mr. Patel had recently hinted that he himself would like to hold the post if it was acceptable to the central leadership. He had earlier turned down such an offer from the high command hoping that he might be asked to replace Mr. Modi before the next Assembly elections due in December, next year.

With the present incumbent, the former Finance Minister Vajubhai Vala, being unwilling to continue, a new president was expected to be finalised before the end of next month or early November.

Mr. Vala, nominated for the post last year at the behest of Mr. Modi, was keen to return to the State Cabinet.

The Modi group is backing the State party spokesman and a former Keshubhai Patel loyalist Purshottam Rupala. Mr. Rupala was Mr. Modi's choice before Mr. Vala.

However, the dissidents staked claim for Mr. Kathiriya and the high command preferred a "compromise candidate" in Mr. Vala as an interim president till a new president was installed in office.

With the dissidents almost certain that the high command was unlikely to give the marching orders to Mr. Modi before the next Assembly elections, they wanted their own man as the party president to ensure a say in the choice of party candidates for the polls. If Mr. Modi got a person of his choice as the new president he would ensure that none of the Patel-loyalists were given ticket, the dissidents feared.

They were hopeful that the high command would not be able to brush aside their claim easily as things were `no longer looking bright' for the party in the State under Mr. Modi.

After the suspension of the former minister and party spokesman, Nalin Bhatt, from the party a fortnight ago, for publicly criticising the Modi administration in handling the recent flood situation, seven BJP members of the Bhavnagar Municipal Corporation were issued show-cause notices on Thursday for rebelling against the party.

A Modi nominee lost the elections for the post of chairman of the Gujarat State Urban Co-operative Banks Federation, the umbrella body of the 350 urban co-operative banks in the State, despite the fact that the BJP had 18 members in the 23-member electoral body.

Mr. Modi had nominated Dolarbhai Kotecha for the post against Jyotindra Mehta, backed by the RSS. This was seen to be an indication of the growing chasm between Mr. Modi and the Sangh Parivar, and also the weakening of his grip over the party.

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