Anandiben faces exit as BJP gears up for Assembly polls

Sources in the party and the government said "a big reshuffle in the government is expected" in the State but refused to divulge details.

May 17, 2016 03:07 am | Updated November 17, 2021 04:49 am IST - New Delhi/Ahmedabad:

Speculation was rife on Monday that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is considering a change of guard in Gujarat ahead of the crucial Assembly polls scheduled for next year.

It is learnt that the party leadership is exploring various options to replace Chief Minister Anandiben Patel, who will be completing two years at the helm on May 22.

Sources in the party and the government said “a big reshuffle in the government is expected” in the State but refused to divulge details.

A prominent factor cited for the proposed reshuffle is the protracted agitation by the Patel community, seeking quota in education and jobs. Despite the State’s decision to give 10 per cent quota to the economically weaker sections among the upper castes, the agitation is still continuing. This has sparked concern in the BJP, which suffered severe setbacks in the November 2015 panchayat polls.

Nepotism charge Apart from the agitation by the Patidars, allegations of the “ >growing influence of her children in the government ” are also said to have worked against the Chief Minister.

“The decision may be taken after May 19, following the Assembly poll results and also an Assembly by-election in Talala in Gujarat,” party insiders said in Delhi.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister and senior officials were in Delhi on Monday to brief Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the drought situation in the State.

After the meeting, Mr. Modi tweeted: “Chief Minister Anandiben Patel and officials met me to discuss drought mitigation and water scarcity situation in parts of Gujarat. Was briefed about extensive efforts towards water conservation in Gujarat. Glad to see progress being made in micro irrigation.”

Party sources said a report by BJP leader Omji Mathur, who was tasked by the PM to assess the ground situation following the debacle in the local polls, had reportedly recommended “overhaul in the government and the State unit” before the Assembly elections.

Mathur report “It seems that Mathurji, who met local leaders, told the high command to make changes in the top, else the party may suffer in the Assembly polls as it did in the panchayat polls,” a BJP leader in Gujarat told The Hindu .

Meanwhile, Nitin Patel, a senior Cabinet Minister in the State, said to be the front runner to replace Ms Patel, also met BJP president Amit Shah in Delhi on Monday. Mr Mathur was also present at the meeting.

Earlier, party president Amit Shah had called a meeting of BJP parliamentarians from Gujarat to discuss the political situation. Chief Minister Anandiben Patel, seen as a political rival of Mr Shah, was not present in the meeting while State BJP president Vijay Rupani, a Shah confidant, was present with the parliamentarians.

On Sunday, Mr Shah launched the NDA's cooking gas for rural communities scheme from tribal dominated Dahod district in Gujarat in presence of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Chief Ministers of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

Subsequently, he kicked off a night cricket tournament — Karnavati Premier League (KPL) —organized by the Ahmedabad BJP unit. Chief Minister Anandiben Patel was conspicuous by her absence at the event where thousands of BJP workers were chanting “Amitbhai go ahead, we are with you.”

However, Gujarat BJP spokesman Bharat Pandya dubbed the media reports of change of guard in Gujarat as “baseless rumours.”

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