Anandiben Patel’s resignation: Is the Bharatiya Janata Party in trouble in Gujarat?

The question is being asked because its chief minister, handpicked by Narendra Modi, is stepping down. The short answer is: no, and I’ll explain why in a moment. But first, let’s speculate on the reasons why Anandiben Patel is going.

Anandiben Patel's resignation: Is the Bharatiya Janata Party in trouble in Gujarat

First: The all-must-retire-at-75 rule is not applicable to Kalraj Mishra. It is true that he may be asked to go after the Uttar Pradesh elections, but till then he is important. So it should be accepted that Patel is not seen as an asset in the same way.

Second: Any leader would have suffered being a follow up act to Modi. The most charismatic and popular Gujarati leader since Vallabhbhai, Modi has left a leadership void hard to fill. Anandiben Patel was seen by many as unable to fill it, but it’s not easy to see who might have been able to.

Third: Gujarat was synonymous, rightly or wrongly, with competent and clean governance. It was a state that was consistently delivering double digit growth, focussed on industries and manufacturing, unlike other successful hubs focused on services, like Bengaluru, Gurgaon and Hyderabad. Now it is seen, rightly and wrongly, as any other Indian state, with a chief minister accused of favouring family, mismanaging of social violence and possibly Hindutva fatigue. The perception had to be corrected, and changing the leadership is the best way.

Fourth: The Gujarat model is rubbish, according to Gujaratis themselves. The Patidars, the most politically powerful, wealthy and globally connected peasant caste in India, have rejected Modi’s claim that Gujarat is a model state for economic growth.

If this privileged community is not just unhappy but angry, the rest are not buying the dream either. This is a serious problem and if not managed properly, will lead to questions that will not be limited to Gujarat. Someone needs to step in and bring the joy back. That means recreating the perception of an energetic state with a world-beating economic model. That person, very sorry, is not old Anandiben Patel.

These then are the reasons she is leaving. Let’s return to the original question. If all of the above is true, why is the BJP not in trouble?

The answer is that it has been here many times before. Patidars angry? The Keshubhai Patel rebellion against Modi was a flop. Social unrest? Well, 2002 did not affect the BJP. Intra-party squabbling? Happens all the time. The fact is that an opposition is needed to exploit unrest in ruling parties.

Source From : firstpost.com

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