Ahmedabad, Jan. 31 :    Ahmedabad, Jan. 31:  Chief minister Narendra Modi filed his nomination today for the Rajkot-2 Assembly constituency, where the bypolls will be held on February 21. Modi was advised by his astrologer to file his nomination papers at 12.39 pm. But the chief minister's cavalcade reached the collectorate two hours behind schedule, delayed because of a meeting and other ceremonies. Before filing his nomination, Modi garlanded the statues of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel and B.R. Ambedkar and offered prayers at three temples. BJP workers, demoralised by the party's defeat in district panchayat, civic and two byelections in the last two years, celebrated the day as Kesariya Divas (Saffron Day) by hoisting saffron flags on their residences. Modi was accompanied on his jeep by former chief minister Keshubhai Patel and much-maligned former revenue and finance minister Vajubhai Vala, who vacated his seat to facilitate Modi's entry into the Assembly. Patel, who had raised objections to the manner in which he was asked to step down by the BJP central leadership to make way for Modi, pledged his support to ensure his successor wins with comfortable margin. Patel also said he would campaign for two other party candidates contesting from Vadodara and Mahuva in Surat district. Rajkot has been a Sangh parivar stronghold for over two decades, except for the last civic election when the Congress wrested power from the BJP in both the civic body and well as the district panchayat. But the party is still strong in Rajkot-2 where the BJP won 13 out of the 25 wards in the civic elections, even though the Congress emerged as the single largest party in the civic body. Though the BJP considers Rajkot-2 a safe seat, the party is not taking any chances. It has decided to rope in some stars to campaign for the chief minister in Rajkot-2 which is also likely to witness a galaxy of BJP central leaders taking time off from the Uttar Pradesh elections to campaign for Modi. Modi, who assumed office on October 7, 2001, must get elected to the Assembly within six months. There was speculation in the Congress that Modi would dissolve the Assembly and go for mid-term elections. But the the chief minister decided to contest from Rajkot.