The writing is on the wall for Modi

Although Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President M Venkaiah Naidu today said Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi would not be replaced, top BJP sources said the party and Modi himself were reconciled to a change in leadership later next month.

The BJP's poor performance in the general elections in the state "" it won just 14 out of the 26 Lok Sabha seats "" has led to a rebellion within the ranks with many in the party blaming Modi for the electoral debacle.

Last night, at the birthday party of BJP Rajya Sabha MP AK Patel, 62 BJP MLAs and few MPs, including Rajya Sabha member Keshubhai Patel, openly demanded his removal.

The bluntest demand for Modi's ouster was made by Purshottam Solanki, a BJP MLA from Bhavnagar.

"Maybe most of the BJP MLAs and state leaders are still afraid of talking against Modi. But let me put on record that I want his ouster to end the Hitler-style operations in the party and in the government. The 'Modi ouster' drive will be intensified and we expect more and more party leaders and MLAs to join us," Solanki said.

The BJP high command is trying to do some firefighting as it is afraid that the dissidents' anti-Modi statements will be used against it by the the occupants of the treasury benches during the upcoming session of Parliament.

However, in Ahmedabad, dissidents bent on removing Modi could barely contain their anger against his style of functioning.

Former chief minister and a contender for the top post, Suresh Mehta, who went to Delhi on Thursday to submit a report on the party's failure in the general elections, also lent his voice to the 'oust Modi' campaign.

A meeting between Kailashpati Mishra and LK Advani has sent tongues wagging.

Interestingly, Modi's own camp also believes he will have to step down, but not because of dissidence within the party.

The BJP believes it is just a matter of time before the Central Bureau of Investigation finds evidence of Modi's complicity in the Gujarat riots and moves to arrest him. This will make it impossible for Modi to continue as chief minister.