A meeting between ex-Gujarat Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel and former BJP general secretary Sanjay Joshi gave a fresh wave of heat in Gujarat’s politics on Monday considering the fact that both the senior political leaders are known baiters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Though nothing has come out on what the two senior politicians discussed during the 20-minute long meeting in Ahmedabad, the meeting has become the talking point in the political circles of Gujarat.
Joshi, who has spent major part of his political career in Gujarat, was in Ahmedabad to attend a marriage function of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) international president Pravin Togadia’s son. Togadia too is considered as Modi baiter. Ahead of the visit of former BJP general secretary, his posters were put up across Ahmedabad and other parts of the state demanding Sanjay Joshi’s return in the BJP following the party’s dismal show in the local self-government bodies in Gujarat.
Interestingly, Joshi also met Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel on Sundayduring the marriage function and spent some time with her. He quit as BJP national general secretary after a video allegedly of him being with a woman surfaced. Closely associated with RSS, Joshi came to Ahmedabad in 1988-89 from Maharashtra. later on he became active in BJP too.
Joshi who travelled to Gujarat by train got rousing welcome at Palanpur and Ahmedabad railway stations. The posters and banners which appeared at various places however did not carry the name of individuals. The local BJP leaders blamed it as act of opposition Congress party.
One-time powerful party functionary and Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh pracharak, was a strongman to contend with in Gujarat during Keshubhai Patel’s regime, before Modi returned to Gujarat as Chief Minister in October 2001.