08-24-2005, 03:33 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->http://ww1.mid-day.com/news/nation/2005/august/116905.htm
<b>Rebels want Modi out for personal reasons </b>
August 24, 2005
By: Deepak Lokhande
While gunning for Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modiâs head, Bharatiya Janata Party leaders Keshubhai Patel, Kanshiram Rana and Suresh Mehta have more than just public interest on their minds. Each of them is driven by personal reasons.
Keshubhai Patel, who is the most vocal of them all, wants Modi removed at any cost because the Modi government suddenly hiked the premium on de-reserved land meant to be utilised for commercial purposes.
This hurt Patelâs interests. His son Bharat and son-in-law Mayur Parikh were affected by it. <b>The hike forced property rates to balloon up, leaving investors, most of whom support Patel, in the cold.
As a result, over one-and-half lakh flats in Surat are lying vacant with no buyers</b>. <!--emo&:lol:--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='laugh.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Similarly, commercial complexes in Surat, Vapi, Rajkot, Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, most of them built by the Patel-supporter buildersâ lobby, are awaiting buyers, who turned away after the rates had to be increased by over 100 per cent to meet the hike in the premium by the Modi government.
The Patel camp insists Modi did this to hurt Keshubhai. Modi also played similar mischief with the diamond traders from Surat, who till recently backed Patel. A one per cent sales tax was levied on the diamond industry.
This was removed by Modi after the representatives met him, but only after an assurance that they wonât support Keshubhai any more.
Modi threatened them with reintroducing the sales tax and levying additional cess if they did so. There is little surprise then, that Keshubhai wants Modiâs head to roll.
Suresh Mehta was promised a constitutional development board for Kutch region by Patel.
Losing five out of six parliamentary seats in this region and most of the panchayats to Congress, a development board is the only option for Mehta who is seeking political resurrection. But Modi is yet to clear the proposal that was set in motion over five years ago.
Kanshiram Rana is the least affected party of the three. He wants an affidavit from the Gujarat state government that will tilt the balance in his favour in a case against his South Gujarat Medical Education Trust.
Modi is dillydallying for a long time. As the top BJP leadership is aware of the personal reasons for the revolt against Modi, it has so far not removed him. ââReports from Gujarat are in favour of Modi, as far as governance is concerned. So why remove him?â sources asked<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<b>Rebels want Modi out for personal reasons </b>
August 24, 2005
By: Deepak Lokhande
While gunning for Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modiâs head, Bharatiya Janata Party leaders Keshubhai Patel, Kanshiram Rana and Suresh Mehta have more than just public interest on their minds. Each of them is driven by personal reasons.
Keshubhai Patel, who is the most vocal of them all, wants Modi removed at any cost because the Modi government suddenly hiked the premium on de-reserved land meant to be utilised for commercial purposes.
This hurt Patelâs interests. His son Bharat and son-in-law Mayur Parikh were affected by it. <b>The hike forced property rates to balloon up, leaving investors, most of whom support Patel, in the cold.
As a result, over one-and-half lakh flats in Surat are lying vacant with no buyers</b>. <!--emo&:lol:--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='laugh.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Similarly, commercial complexes in Surat, Vapi, Rajkot, Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, most of them built by the Patel-supporter buildersâ lobby, are awaiting buyers, who turned away after the rates had to be increased by over 100 per cent to meet the hike in the premium by the Modi government.
The Patel camp insists Modi did this to hurt Keshubhai. Modi also played similar mischief with the diamond traders from Surat, who till recently backed Patel. A one per cent sales tax was levied on the diamond industry.
This was removed by Modi after the representatives met him, but only after an assurance that they wonât support Keshubhai any more.
Modi threatened them with reintroducing the sales tax and levying additional cess if they did so. There is little surprise then, that Keshubhai wants Modiâs head to roll.
Suresh Mehta was promised a constitutional development board for Kutch region by Patel.
Losing five out of six parliamentary seats in this region and most of the panchayats to Congress, a development board is the only option for Mehta who is seeking political resurrection. But Modi is yet to clear the proposal that was set in motion over five years ago.
Kanshiram Rana is the least affected party of the three. He wants an affidavit from the Gujarat state government that will tilt the balance in his favour in a case against his South Gujarat Medical Education Trust.
Modi is dillydallying for a long time. As the top BJP leadership is aware of the personal reasons for the revolt against Modi, it has so far not removed him. ââReports from Gujarat are in favour of Modi, as far as governance is concerned. So why remove him?â sources asked<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->