Modi blows poll bugle at massive rally in Amreli

In true Narendra Modi style, the Gujarat BJP started its campaign for the forthcoming Assembly polls with a mammoth rally at Amreli, the citadel of rebels. It was from this very place that the party had begun its victory march in 1995. The launch of the campaign was attended by all the key party leaders of the State, however national leaders gave a miss.

The rally, named 'Vijay Vishwas Sammelan' and managed by former BJP MP Dilip Sanghani, a close associate of the Chief Minister Narendra Modi, saw State BJP chief Purshottam Rupala give a call to wrench the Congress from its roots.

"A party which neither has a vision nor a leader to match our own ( BJP) has already forfeited any claim to rule even before the battle of the ballot begins in the State," he added.

The meet marked the entry of two former Congress MLAs Dilip Patel and Valji Khokharia from Saurashtra region into the BJP and it came in the backdrop of news that Dr Chandrabhan Gadhvi, brother of former Gujarat Congress president and former Union Minister BK Gadhvi, had also joined the BJP.

Gadhvi though made it clear that he would not campaign against his nephew Mukesh Gadhvi, who would be contesting on the Congress ticket. The campaign meet also made a strong statement to negate the claim that the Patidar community had turned away from the party as two key faces of the community diamond trader Purshottam Dhani and Vallabh Kakadia attended the rally.