Flush with win, Modi calls on arch-rival Keshubhai Patel

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called on Gujarat Parivartan Party President Keshubhai Patel and sought his blessings after the Bharatiya Janata Party's victory in the assembly elections.

Modi drove to the residence of Patel, who fell out with the BJP stalwart and floated his own party ahead of the election, in Gandhinagar to meet him.

"Modiji had come to seek blessings after his win in the elections. I congratulated him for the win," Patel said after Modi's visit.

The former chief minister and BJP rebel floated the GPP four months ahead of the elections and led a vitriolic campaign against Modi, who had succeeded him in 2001.

The GPP had fielded candidates in more than 170 assembly seats but the fledgeling party came a cropper and barely managed to open its account.

During the campaigning, Keshubhai, who won from Visavadar assembly seat in Saurashtra region, had vowed to unseat Modi from power and compared the BJP leader to Hitler and called him a "demon".

Modi also visited his mother Hiraba and sought her blessings after leading the BJP to third straight assembly election victory.