EXPECT BJP TO MAKE A POLITICAL ANNOUNCEMENT SOON

Amit Shah

Narendra Modi

national party

the national

BJP’S OFFICIAL STAND: ALL IS WELL

Convinced that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will lose Gujarat under — the leadership of the state’s current chief minister, Anandiben Patel, Prime Ministerhas reportedly made up his mind to remove her from the post and arrest the declining popularity of his party in his home state.Patel, the first woman CM of Gujarat, completes two years at the post on May 22. Top BJP sources from Delhi told Mirror that Anandiben would be given a graceful exit.Instead of the party taking any apparent action against Patel, an official reason for the removal could come from her. She may cite her age (she turns 75 in November) and will co-operate fully with the transition to “consolidate the party”.The source said Gujarat model conceptualised and branded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was slowly crumbling down. “Gujarat used to be an example that was cited by the PM at every given occasion. Now, for the past eight months, the PM has been cautiously avoiding its reference. Anandiben was given a great state but she messed it up. Gujarat model, that Modiji was so proud of, has become a joke,” he said. However, a former BJP union minister told this newspaper that though Anandiben had not been savvy enough to brand herself, she had done outstanding work in the social sector.He said her replacement as the CM on grounds of non-performance is in fact the culmination of her ongoing cold war with national BJP president Amit Shah.Both Shah and Anandiben are Modi confidants but have not been getting along well with each other for at least a decade. The ongoing stir for reservation by Patels that has embarrassed Anandiben and the BJP is also believed to have the blessings of a top BJP leader who is not well disposed with her. Besides a clear failure at perception management, sources said Anandiben’s unwillingness to heed to Amit Shah’s recommendations, especially in the police departmental postings, also played a role in maintaining law and order situation and reining in the Patel agitation which has become her nemesis. The Amit Shah-camp reportedly worked hard to portray Anandiben a non-performer, claimed sources.“All of us in the BJP also feel that the organised campaign to slander her and her family and expose corruption was all planned and executed by her rivals within our party,” a BJP leader said. Details about Anandiben’s daughter Anar given favours in land allocation also hurt the CM’s image.According to sources in Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already discussed the issue of her replacement withpresident Amit Shah. One section in the BJP feels that if the party wants to get back to power in Gujarat in 2017, Shah should be made the CM.“If Anandiben is replaced with a Nitin Patel, a Bhikhu Dalsania, a Vijay Rupani or anyone else it would not make any difference. There are only two persons who can salvage the BJP. Since Modiji is the Prime Minister, Amit Shah should take up the chief ministership of Gujarat,” a senior RSS leader told this newspaper. He also claimed that an internal survey conducted by the RSS revealed this.Anandiben replaced Modi in 2014 when he shifted to the Centre as Prime Minister. Ben, as she is known, has done commendable work in the social sector, especially in the areas of malnutrition, public health, sanitation and women’s welfare. Ben is also known for her balanced religious approach and though is the CM representing the BJP, has never displayed anti- minority sentiments.However, her failure in handling an agitation initiated by her own Patel community marked her out as an inefficient leader. The reservation by the highly rich and influential Patel community is also said to have the blessings of top BJP leaders.The nearly year-old Patel agitation and her response to it have compartmentalised Anandiben as “anti-Patel’.Whether Amit Shah would step into Anandiben’s shoes remains to be seen, but sources close to his family claimed that Shah is more than eager to take over as Gujarat CM.In case Shah cannot take up the post, considering his responsibilities atparty president, he would prefer a Patel candidate of his choice as the CM.Amit Shah had his way recently and got his man appointed as the state BJP president. The distance between the party and the government in Gujarat became clear when state party president Vijay Rupani made two important announcements recently and tried to take credit for the same. These included a 10 per cent EBC reservation and a minority status to the Jains.Om Mathur was recently asked by Prime Minister Modi to visit Gujarat and take stock of the situation. He reportedly echoed the RSS feeling of “BJP losing grip in Gujarat under Anandiben,” said sources.The BJP expects that the overhaul will boost the party’s image much before Assembly polls in the state in December 2017, said sources.However, the party’s official stand remains that the talk about Anandiben’s exit is just a baseless speculation. Denying any change of power in Gujarat, BJP spokesperson Bharat Pandya said, “CM Anandiben Patel and health minister Nitin Patel visited New Delhi recently to attend meetings on drought and NEET issues. However, the meetings are being presented in a different manner. These are all rumours. The party is making progress under her leadership. The BJP will be celebrating completion of two years of the Anandiben Patel government.”Meanwhile, Anandiben returned to Gujarat from New Delhi after having what she described, to discuss the drought situation in the state, with PM Modi.