Cracks show up in Pune BJP at sit-in for Gujrat CM

Gogawale, supporters skip show of support for Modi's Sadbhavna Yatra; leader says no one told him

Cracks show up in Pune BJP at sit-in for Gujrat CM

Gogawale, supporters skip show of support for Modi's Sadbhavna Yatra; leader says no one told him

All's not well within the city unit of BJP, if senior leader Yogesh Gogawale's actions are any indication. Gogawale and his acolytes chose to stay away from the dharna organised by the city unit of BJP to support Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's Sadbhavna Yatra yesterday.

Simmering unrest? The city unit of the BJP organises a dharna to
support Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's Sadbhavna Yatra yesterday.
Pic/Krunal Gosavi

It was the last day of Modi's Sadbhavana Yatra.u00a0Gogawale and many others are reportedly still sulking over the appointment of Vikas Mathkari, a few months ago, as the city unit chief of BJP. In the past few months, differences of opinion between senior leaders Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley, and party president Nitin Gadkari and deputy leader of BJP in Loksabha Gopinath Munde have been food for conjecture that the party is riven with factional fighting.

Most senior leaders have, however, denied such a development. The dharna was organised at Balgandharva Chowk, where thousands of BJP workers, including a remarkable number of Muslim party workers, were present. Most of them were from the Mathkari camp.

"Today is the last day of Sadbhavana Yatra of Modi. He has successfully completed his fast and on this occasion, we have organised this dharna to give him our support," said Mathkari. On the absence of party general secretary Gogawale, Mathkari chose to keep mum. Gogawale, meanwhile, expressed his support to Modi in words if not in action.u00a0"I did not have any idea that such a dharna was being organised by the city party unit. No one from the party informed me about this event. I have already sent my wishes to Modi personally."He denied the party was sidelining him.

Modi for PM?
It seems the Gujarat CM Narendra Modi is all set to be the BJP's prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 Loksabha elections, considering the unprecedented support that he is getting from party workers. Vikas Mathkari said the dharna was organised not only to support Modi's fast, but also to express the wish that he takes on the onus of party leadership.u00a0