Solanki apology is cold comfort for Modi

Though the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) high command moved fast to quell dissidence in the Gujarat unit of the party and spare state Chief Minister Narendra Modi further embarrassment, the relief for Modi may be temporary.

Last week, at the birthday party of BJP Rajya Sabha MP AK Patel, 60 BJP MLAs and a few MPs had openly demanded Modi's removal.

The incident prompted BJP President M Venkaiah Naidu to issue a show-cause notice to Puroshottam Solanki, a BJP MLA from Bhavnagar and the most outspoken critic of Modi, for speaking out publicly against Modi.

This led to Solanki tendering an apology to Modi over his harsh comments. Moreover, there are indications that the ministry may be expanded in Gujarat in an attempt to mollify the dissidents.

"Forget the Sangh Parivar, the BJP itself realises that the situation is delicate and any move to dislodge Modi will be seen as a witch hunt against him and a disowning of the party's stance on the Gujarat riots," said a senior office bearer of the party.

With the courts and investigating agencies taking a relook at the Bilkis Banu and Best Bakery cases during the post-Godhra riots, it is just a matter of time before they find evidence of Modi's complicity in the riots.

"Senior leaders in the party feel that the heavy strictures against Modi's government in Gujarat by the Supreme Court will give them reason enough to dislodge Modi, and that to remove him now would show the party in a bad light. The party cannot blame him for the BJP's bad electoral performance in the state, but they certainly can do so for his mishandling of the riot cases," added a senior BJP leader.

According to senior BJP leaders, the reasons for defending Modi, even temporarily, have less to do with a return to Hindutva and more to with the way in which the party is trying to deal with its recent debacle in the general elections.

In fact, the 14 Lok Sabha seats that the party did win in the state were because of Modi and not despite him.

"At a party meeting, where the distribution of tickets for the Lok Sabha elections was taking place, Modi vehemently opposed the candidature of 14 sitting MP s in the state, especially of former minister Bhavnaben Chikalia," said a BJP leader.

"Nine out of 14 MP s lost the election, including Chikalia," he added.

Also, the party has long been aware that the popularity of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is not an issue which brings in votes in Gujarat, this was amply evident from the fact that Vajpayee had to recant his "raj dharma" statement in the wake of the Gujarat riots.