Keshubhai Patel not to switch sides now

NEW DELHI: Notwithstanding efforts launched by a section of his followers to persuade him to switch sides, former Gujarat chief minister Keshubhai Patel is staying put in the BJP.

The party leadership is working overtime to keep the old warhorse in good humour. There are enough indications to suggest that Mr Patel’s son, Bharat will be fielded by the saffron outfit in the coming elections.

This is certain to come as a huge disappointment to the dissidents, who had been pinning their hopes on the Patels to give a big push to their activities. In his interactions with his followers, Mr Patel had ruled out the possibility of joining hands with the Congress, either directly or indirectly.

There was no way he could have joined a party, the BJP veteran argued, which he had opposed all his life. He is Rajya Sabha member. He had won the 1998 assembly polls from Visavadar constituency, but shifted his base to the Centre after Mr Modi took over the reigns of the state in 2001.