Sunday, 12 September 2021 | PNS | New Delhi
BJP’s course correction in Gujarat before polls
A year before the high-stake State Assembly elections, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani resigned on Saturday to make way for a new face. The surprise decision is seen as the acknowledgment of the fact that Rupani’s political management had left the State unit in disarray, the BJP was facing new challenges from the Aam Aadmi Party, a well-entrenched spirited Congress, and the demand of influential “patidar” community to have a dominant share in the State power.
Rupani, hailing from the numerical smaller Jain community, submitted his resignation to Governor Acharya Devvrat in the afternoon and later said that he had “willingly” stepped down from the post after a decision in this regard was taken by the party in the “larger interest of Gujarat”.
Rupani was sworn-in as State Chief Minister in December 2017.
BJP’s legislature party meeting is to take place on Sunday morning when a new name for the Chief Minister could be announced, according to party sources.
The probable names for the Chief Minister from the “patidar” community include Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, who was sworn in as the Union Health Minister in July, Deputy State Chief Minister Nitin Patel, BJP Rajya Sabha member Parshottam, former State Home Minister Gordhan Zadafia, BJP administrator in Dadar Nagar Haveli Praful Khoda Patel, and State Minister RC Faldu. Patels, largely, dominate the Saurashtra region of Gujarat.
Besides these names, a non-patidar State BJP president and Lok Sabha member CR Patil, under whom BJP scored well in local elections, is also a potential candidate.
Mandaviya, who landed in Ahmedabad soon after Rupani’s resignation and interacted with State leaders, maintained “he is not in the race”.
However, it is understood that the BJP leadership in Delhi first decided on Rupani’s successor before directing him to put in his papers. “The media can do as much kite flying as it wants. The name must have been finalised,” said a senior leader.
Rupani was found short of expectations during the peak of the Covid-19 second wave. His grip of the bureaucracy was also questionable as also his ability to check infighting in the State unit.
“It has been a five-year journey for the development of Gujarat… under guidance of PM Modi. Now, to further develop the State, with new energy and power, I have decided to resign as Chief Minister,” said Rupani.
“It is well known that the BJP, as a party, keeps changing as per requirements… it is a speciality of our party that every worker delivers to the fullest, and I too will continue to work for the party with the same energy,” he said.
With 27 years ant-incumbency staring in the face of the BJP, the party leadership has decided to do course correction well in time for the Assembly polls. The Congress wrested around 19 seats from the BJP in the last Assembly polls. The AAP is also making determined forays in the State by winning 27 seats in Surat municipal Corporation polls.
Under the situation, the BJP leadership has decided to hand over the command of the Prime Minister’s home State to a more “dynamic” leader who could carve-out a fresh strategy to win Assembly polls in December next year.
“Many Ministers will make exit and new faces will find place in the Cabinet under a new CM,” sources said.
Just before Rupani’s resignation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday morning virtually inaugurated “Patidar” promoted Girl’s hostel in Ahmadabad as an indication that the Patels will be given more weight in the State.
The BJP has been in CM changing spree as before Rupani, it has organised exit of Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa and shifted two CMs in Uttarakhand — Tirath Singh Rawat and Trivendra Singh Rawat — to ensure that anti-incumbency doesn’t rise until the next Assembly polls. Uttarakhand is due for elections early next year while Karnataka in 2023.
