M A I N   N E W S

BJP leaders try to reconcile Modi, Patel
Tribune News Service

Mumbai, June 24
Several leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tried to bring about a patch-up between Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and his rival Keshubhai Patel on the sidelines of the three-day National Executive meeting here today.

Mr Modi, who was supposed to leave for Gujarat yesterday, was persuaded by party leaders to stay back and hold parleys with senior party leaders and Mr Patel. It is, however, not clear what understanding was reached. Neither Mr Patel nor Mr Modi were willing to reveal the details to the Press.

“I had a brief telephonic talk with Vajpayee and told him about my views about the party’s problems,” Mr Patel told reporters earlier. He also added that he had talked to Mr Modi and that they would consult party MLAs in future.

Mr Patel reportedly had a long one-to-one meeting with Mr Vajpayee on the matter today. Only on Tuesday Mr Patel had told reporters in Ahmedabad that the situation in Gujarat was akin to a mini-emergency. However the party today tried to play down the remark.

“We don’t think (there is a mini-emergency in Gujarat),” party president Venkaiah Naidu told reporters.

Earlier in the day, Mr Patel and Mr Modi, along with senior party leaders, posed for the cameras.

However, observers here say that Mr Patel has been given assurances that Mr Modi would be replaced after the Maharashtra elections as a sop to the dissidents.

BJP appoints leaders

Mumbai, June 24
The BJP today appointed Mr Pramod Mahajan and Mr Arun Jaitley as in charge of Maharashtra and Bihar, respectively, where Assembly elections are due later this year and early next year.

The party also appointed a five-member committee to go into the Lok Sabha election debacle. The members of the committee include Mr Sanjay Joshi, Mr Sushil Modi, Mr Shivraj Singh Chauhan and Mr Anant Kumar. — TNS