By selecting Patel,Modi has rectified political mistakes committed in the state since 2016. The party had to pay heavily as factionalism within had reached new heights.The Patidars are a dominant caste in Gujarat with a sizeable control over the electoral votes
By Abdulhafiz Lakhani Siyasat.net
Gandhinagar: Gujarat once again sees the patidar power as Bhupendra Patel, a first-time MLA, was sworn in as Gujarat’s new Chief Minister two days after Vijay Rupani and his entire cabinet quit, setting the stage for a new political strength a year before polls in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state.Union Home Minister Amit Shah attended the oath ceremony.Governor Acharya Devvrat administrated oath to New CM.
Bhupendra Patel, the BJP MLA from Ghatlodia seat held earlier by Anandiben Patel, was an unexpected choice after much speculation circling around other names like Union Ministers Mansukh Mandaviya and Parshottam Rupala, and Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel.
Two days after Vijay Rupani’s resignation from the top post in the state months before the Assembly elections, Bhupendra Patel will take oath as the Chief Minister of Gujarat on Monday afternoon.
It is believed that Patel holds a strong influence in the Patidar community in Gujarat which the BJP party has banked upon to win the upcoming elections. With Vijay Rupani’s resignation on Saturday as the Chief Minister, he became the fourth CM in the BJP-led state government in the country this year to opt for this move. Earlier, former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat and Trivendra Singh Rawat tendered their resignations.
The announcement of the 59-year-old BJP leader’s name as the Chief Minister-elect at a legislative party meeting of the BJP on last Sunday came as a surprise for many as the low-profile MLA was not seen to be among the top contenders for the post.
However, BJP said the selection of Patel, a man known for his gentle personality and is said to be a protege of former chief minister Anandiben Patel was a unanimous decision by all leaders present in the party’s legislative meeting.
Till early Sunday morning, Patel was just another MLA attending small party events in his constituency, where he was panting saplings and planning next organizational programs.
Born in Ahmedabad, Patel is a first-time MLA from the Ghatlodia seat, a post previously held by Anandiben Patel, who is currently serving as the Governor of Uttar Pradesh with an additional charge of Madhya Pradesh.
He had won his maiden seat by a margin of 117,000 votes in 2017, the largest margin in that poll defeating Congress candidate Shashikant Patel. He grabbed more than 72 per cent of the vote share in the Ghatlodia constituency during the 2017 assembly polls.
Patel is, however, not a new face in politics and has served as the Ahmedabad municipal councillor. Patel, who holds a diploma in civil engineering, also served as the chairman of the Standing Committee of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA).
With Assembly polls in the state scheduled to be held in 2022, BJP went with Patel, a Patidar face for the Chief Minister. He is also a trustee at Patidar organizations Sardar Dham and Vishwa Umiya Foundation.
The Patidars are a dominant caste in Gujarat with a sizeable control over the electoral votes. The community also dominates the political economy with a stronghold over education, realty and cooperative sectors.
The choice of a Patel name is important for BJP because besides being a Patidar, he is also a Kadva Patel. He is the first Chief Minister in Gujarat from the Kadva Patel community which forms nearly 12.4 per cent of the state’s population. Till now all the other “Patel” chief ministers of Gujarat were from the Leuva Patel community.
The party is counting on Patel to navigate the party through tough waters during the upcoming assembly elections in 2022. In the 2017 state election, the BJP won 99 of the state’s 182 Assembly seats, Congress got 77 seats.
Sources from the party say Bhupendra Patel belongs to the former Chief Minister and Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel’s group. By selecting Bhupendra Patel, Modi has rectified political mistakes committed in the state since 2016. The party had to pay heavily as factionalism within had reached new heights.
Patel is also associated with the real estate sector and other religious groups. Coupled with an urban presence and his connection through community networks, he is expected to appeal to urban and rural voters.
The first challenge will be selecting a team that can deliver in a short span, control officers, and make them answerable and accountable to elected representatives.
Patel will have to bridge the deficit with party organization, which widened after CR Patil took over as the party unit chief. Patil and Rupani were not on good terms, and that too was sending wrong signals within the party ranks. He has to strike a balance with the team and with Patil.
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