New Delhi. In a dramatic turnaround, Gujarat BJP chief Vijay Rupani on Friday edged past Nitin Patel to bag the coveted chief minister’s post in the state, with the entire exercise clearly showing the hand of BJP president Amit Shah. Till Friday afternoon, Nitin Patel, confident of succeeding outgoing CM Anandiben Patel, had started speaking to the media, giving interviews to TV channels and talking of the “road map ahead”.
By 5.30 pm, however, the situation changed completely, and Mr Rupani, who on Thursday had said that he was withdrawing from the race, was named chief minister and Mr Patel deputy chief minister.
Hardik Patel, who is leading the Patidar community’s agitation, said that “by making Rupani chief minister, the BJP has insulted the Patels”. Mr Rupani, who was state transport minister, belongs to the Jain-Baniya community (non-dominant caste), that comprises only four per cent of the state’s population.
Mr Rupani was picked for the state’s top job by party MLAs at a meeting in Ahmedabad on Friday. The meeting saw the participation of BJP president Amit Shah and senior leader and Union minister Nitin Gadkari.
What apaprently tipped the scales in favour of Mr Rupani was Nitin Patel’s jumping the gun, speaking to the media and giving interviews to TV channels as well as accepting congratulations even before party legislators and Mr Shah had taken a decision. Later on Friday, it became a rude awakening for him as he was relegated to deputy chief ministership. Only on Thursday, bowing out of the race, Mr Rupani had told the media: “I have been entrusted with the party organisation. What can be more important work than that? The party has given me organisational work, I am fortunate and that is my priority. I am very satisfied with the organisational work.”
Mr Rupani, who will replace Anandiben Patel, is known as a Amit Shah loyalist. However, his name was cleared only after there was a green signal from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
A senior BJP leader pointed out: “Gujarat mein Modiji ke ishare ke bina patta bhi nahin hilta (In Gujarat, even a leaf does not move without Modi’s permission).” Though Mr Rupani is from a non-dominant caste, his loyalists pointed out that he belongs to Saurashtra, which has a significant population of both Patels and dalits. It was claimed that Mr Rupani has a considerable hold among the Patels. Besides, by jumping the gun, Nitin Patel lost out in the race as the BJP suddenly began to view him as a “loose cannon” and “not strong enough”. Though pushed to the number two slot, the BJP high command does not want to completely upset Nitin Patel either. At this point, both the incoming chief minister and his deputy have their tasks cut out. They are expected to provide good governance and try to contain the rage of the Patel and dalit communities, battle two decades of anti-incumbency and mend ties between the government and the party.
The task ahead for the new team will be tough as it will have to get everything in shape by October next year, when the state is due to go for Assembly elections.
