Ahmedabad: Chief Minister Narendra Modi today faced a fresh electoral challenge when BJP rebels opened a new front to attack him floating an advertisement carrying an appeal by veteran party leader Keshubhai Patel that “a change was required.”

With just seven days left for the first phase of the Gujarat Assembly elections starting December 11, the newspaper advertisements issued by Sardar Patel Utkarsh Samiti, an organisation floated by the rebels, in which Modi was portrayed as a “dictator” took the BJP by surprise.

The advertisement carries quotes of Patel, who was Modi’s predecessor, criticising the present government.

“The advertisement was issued with the idea to refresh the memory of the people regarding what Keshubhai Patel had said earlier against Narendra Modi. The advertisement carries verbatim quotes of Keshubhai Patel spoken at different places,” head of Sardar Patel Utkarsh Samiti and a dissident MLA Gordhan Zadafia told PTI.

The advertisement published in two local vernacular dailies here quoted Keshubhai Patel as saying that, “a dictator has taken over power in the State and time has come to remove him”.

The half-page advertisement carries 10 quotes of Keshubhai and his photo. It also has an appeal by the Sardar Patel Utkarsh Samiti which says, “After spending his entire life for Gujarat’s society, Keshubhai is very sad. He is not going to participate in BJP’s election campaign. He feels that Gujarat is suffering under the present regime. People should think that he has taken this decision with a heavy heart. Don’t sit at home... come out and vote for a change of regime”.

The advertisement of the Sardar Patel Utkarsh Samiti comes after BJP’s all out efforts to woo Keshubhai to its side apparently failed.

Source : PTI