Keshubhai Patel targets central BJP leaders at Jamnagar meet

JAMNAGAR: Coming out openly against the central leadership of BJP, senior party leader Keshubhai Patel today accused them of going back on their promise to remove Narendra Modi as Chief Minister after 2007 assembly polls in the state.

"Not only Narendra Modi but central leaders of BJP are also liars and that is the reason I have decided to come out in open against them," Patel said at a 'Parivartan Sammellan' that the anti-Modi faction of BJP organised in the city.

"Central leaders L K Advani and the then party president M Venkaia Naidu had promised me that they will change Modi after the 2007 elections. After one year, when I met Advani and asked him about the promised change of leadership in Gujarat, he said that they have changed their mind," Patel said addressing a huge gathering here.

Patel had in the run up to the 2007 elections raised his voice against Modi. However, after talks with the party's central leadership, he had stopped his anti-Modi activity.

However, Patel today said he would not back out and fight till the end.

State assembly elections are scheduled to be held in December 2012.

The situation in Gujarat is deteriorating day by day under the Modi rule as law and order has gone to toss, farmers are committing suicide and corruption has become the norm, Patel alleged and asked the people to bring about change in the state leadership this time.

Apart from Patel, the rally was addressed by other leaders like Suresh Mehta, Kanshiram Rana and Gordhan Zadafia.