Is BJP mulling bringing back Vajubhai Vala into electoral politics of Gujarat?

Rajkot, Aug 23 (IANS) The BJP's national general secretary and Gujarat in-charge B L Santosh had a closed door meeting with veteran leader and former Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala. This meeting may result in bringing back Vala into active electoral politics, said sources.Santosh is camping in Gujarat for the last three days. Sources said he has come to assess the ground situation, and also strengthen the coordination between the organization and the state government.Santosh took Saurashtra and Kutch's 60 assembly seats' in-charges meeting in Rajkot on Monday. After which he and two state leaders paid a visit to Vala at his residence, where they had a closed door meeting.It was just a courtesy meeting and politics was not discussed, said Vinod Chavda, party general secretary.But party sources said Santosh wanted Vala's viewpoint on the situation in the Saurashtra and Kutch regions, how he saw the AAP's presence in the election, and whether it could be a serious threat to the party's prospects in the region.Vala is an OBC leader, and in the past he has led the party as the state unit president. He has a grassroot connect, and is respected by all sections of the party. In the Saurashtra region, a tug of war is going on between BJP state unit president C R Patil and former Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, which can have an adverse impact on the results, said sources.In such a situation the party is looking for a neutral face, acceptable to all and Vala can broker truce between the two warring groups.
--IANS haresh/bg

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