Ahead of vote count, BJP acts against Guj rebels

New Delhi: With just a day to go for the Gujarat vote count, the BJP acted tough on the party dissidents on Friday, suspending two sitting MPs and slapping show-cause notices on rebel leaders Keshubhai Patel and Kashiram Rana.

While Vallabhai Kathiria and Somabhai Patel have been suspended from party for 'indiscipline', Keshubhai has been issued a notice for publicly stating that Chief Minister Narendra Modi must be defeated.

The BJP was miffed with the former Gujarat chief minister openly campaigned against Chief Minister Narendra Modi. The party had, however, refrained from acating against him because of the elections.

Patel’s influence in the BJP has waned of late but he is still described as the tallest party leader from Gujarat.