Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the intelligence wing of the Pakistan Army, wants Congress leader Ahmed Patel to take over as the next chief-minister of Gujarat and wondered what could be the reason(s) behind it.

Though the Congress hasn’t openly named its chief-ministerial candidate in the on-going Gujarat Assembly polls (first phase of polling was held on Saturday and the second and final phase of polling would be held on Thursday), a few posters urging people to vote for the Congress Party to make Ahmed Patel as the chief-minister were seen at some places in the State.

Addressing an election rally at Banaskantha, Modi said “Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar degraded Gujarat and its people and was seen holding secret parleys with the Pakistan Ambassador.  What does this signify? Those in Pakistan’s ISI want Congress Party’s Ahmed Patel to take over as the next chief-minister of Gujarat.  Will someone explain what this is all about?”

Replying to the prime-minister, Ahmed Patel denied that Pakistan’s ISI wanted him to become the next chief-minister of the State. “I was never project as the chief-ministerial candidate of the Party; it is apparent that the BJP is blabbering as it is caught in the panic of losing the Assembly polls,” Patel said.