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Former Gujarat Chief Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Keshubhai Patel is likely to form a new political front against Narendra Modi ahead of the state assembly polls scheduled in December. Patel, who was removed from the Chief Minister's post unceremoniously in 2001, quit the BJP on Friday to float a third front ahead of the state assembly elections in December. The dissident group of the ruling BJP met at Patel's residence last evening and declared they would make a 'big announcement' in the last week of July on their future course of action. Patel, who has openly criticized the Gujarat Chief Minister at various public meetings in the last few months, has reported told the BJP High Command that he would campaign against Modi in the state assembly polls if he the latter was not removed from the chief minister's post. Patel's decision to come up with a third front before the Gujarat assembly polls may put forward a triangular contest for the first time in the elections. So far, the battle to conquer the throne of Gujarat has been between the Congress and BJP. Keshubhai Patel served as Chief Minister of Gujarat from March 1995 to October 1995 and from March 1998 to October 2001. In 2001, his party lost two key by-elections, which led to the arrival of Narendra Modi in Gujarat as Chief Minister.

Keshubhai Patel to form new front against Modi