The two former CMs of Guj stayed away because They ARE Childish, Infantile, Petty, Envious mind-boggingly Selfish Opportunistic Egotists. These shameless, treacherous cretins, if they can't have their way, would prefer to destroy the party, rather than allow someone else to have the reins - such is their venality. Anyways, old geezers like Vajpayee, Advani et al are way past it - it's about time they took a back seat and passed the mantle of leadership and responsibilty to the young turks.
