Zeenews Bureau
Ahmedabad: Posters supporting Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s biggest foe, former BJP general secretary Sanjay Joshi, resurfaced in Rajkot on Saturday night.
Interestingly, the posters have come up at a time when BJP’s two-day executive meet is being held at Rajkot to strategise for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly polls.
The meet which began yesterday amidst dissidence and internal bickering in Gujarat BJP is being attended by top state leaders. Narendra Modi is expected to address the gathering today.
The posters were put up by BJP workers yesterday night.
Terming Sanjay Joshi's decision to quit the BJP as "personal", the party's Gujarat unit yesterday said his exit will not have any negative impact on its prospects in the Assembly polls slated by the year-end.
"Joshi's place of work has been in Delhi and in the last Assembly election (2007) he was not in Gujarat but BJP secured absolute majority. His resignation will not have any negative impact (on BJP's chances) in the Assembly elections," Gujarat BJP spokesperson Vijay Rupani said.
On Thursday posters advising Narendra Modi to follow rajdharma had appeared at three places in western Ahmedabad.
The posters, which were put up anonymously, said: ‘Modi should follow Rajdharma, Modi should follow Praja dharma and Modi should fallow party dharma’.
Just a few days earlier, posters praising Sanjay Joshi, Modi’s bête noir, had appeared at some places in Ahmedabad and New Delhi as well.
Sanjay Joshi on Friday resigned from the party, exposing divisions within its ranks.
An activist with the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), Joshi was seconded to the BJP in 1988 when the party was growing on the strength of the Ayodhya movement.
As his relations with Modi deteriorated, a sleaze CD apparently featuring Joshi forced him to leave the BJP in 2005.
Gadkari rehabilitated him, inducting him into the national executive and making him in charge of this year's Uttar Pradesh election campaign.
This upset Modi, who stayed away from a BJP leadership meet in October last year and the Uttar Pradesh poll campaign this year.
Gadkari had to eventually ask Modi to leave the national executive to placate the Gujarat Chief Minister and to ensure his attendance in last month's BJP leadership meet in Mumbai.
The developments have caused divisions both within the BJP and the RSS, with one section critical of the way Joshi had been treated and another saying that Modi had to be accommodated in view of the coming Gujarat elections.
In Gujarat, Joshi is looked upon with awe by those still in the BJP who are upset with Modi's style of functioning. Those who have left the party in the state also because of Modi are considered close to Joshi.
First Published: Sunday, June 10, 2012, 09:38