In 2007, Keshubhai's absence from the country also helped Modi in consolidating Patel votes.If Keshubhai succeeds in bringing the two factions of Patels under one roof then Modi will be in real trouble.
According to an estimate,out of 6 crore Gujaratis, one crore belong to Patel community any political churning in this community can mahe or break the electoral prospects of any political party.
According to some reports, Keshubhai has got tacit support of some BJP bigwigs who are not comfortable with Modi's meteoric rise and the prospects of his emergence as BJP's PM candidate but all this will not have any impact on voting pattern.
In 2007 elections, out of 182 assembly seats, BJP got 117 seats and 49.1 percent of votes polled. Although the no. of BJP seats went down by 4 seats, the vote percentage was spectacular and underlined Modi's electoral supremacy.