Isince Narendra Modi Parachuted to Gujarat in place of Keshubhai Patel in the wake of the 2001 Kutch earthquake as Chief Minister, State Has been a junkyard of two generations of failed ambitions and political careers of BJP leaders. included in the list Suresh Mehta, Kashiram Rana, Vajubhai Vala, Haren Pandya, Harin Pathak, And Saurabh Patel to name a few.
all from themExcept Saurabh Patel the old RSS-Jan Sangh were Member. bunion connection was not sufficient for Defense His ambition against the centralization of power by Modi.
Political career that died under Modi
Modi’s predecessor Keshubhai was a Patel leader from the Saurashtra region, who had the image of ‘Mati ke Lal’. Modi would like Bow Him early in his chief ministership. But Patel soon became sullen. He would like express your displeasureBut Silently, never MusterEng Courage to come out openly against Modi. When he eventually Maybe it was too late. they launched Contested the 2012 assembly elections against the Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP) BJP. It was a flop show. His party could win only two seats, including his own. disappointed, he first resigned From post of GPP chairman and Then as a legislator. party merged BJP in 2014
When Keshubhai Patel’s government was shaken by Shankarsinh Vaghela’s rebellion, Suresh Mehta served as chief minister. about One year Soft-spoken Mehta, a politician from Kutch, went Industries Minister in Keshubhai’s cabinet. But from the very beginning he had reservations about working under Modi. He left BJP in 2007 and accused the entire party of “Surrendering to one person (Modi).” when he was with keshubhai Teathat gp was Make and left active politics after that The half-hearted, unsuccessful struggle against Modi’s hegemony Could not stop the merger of GPP with BJP,
Kashiram Rana was another Senior leader of RSS-BJP was AddEd GPP. A politician from Surat, Rana has had a long and successful political career. He served as the Union Minister of Textiles in the cabinet of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He was denied a BJP ticket during 2009 Lok Sabha Election. sense of the end of his career below Modi became one of the vice-presidents of the GPP. He died soon after of a heart attack.
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Haren Pandya’s case is a famous example of Modi’s supremacy in the BJP at the national level, when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat. Pandya was a Keshubhai loyalist and a moderate face of the BJP. Born in 1950, like Modi, he rose to the rank of Home Minister in Keshubhai’s cabinet. When Modi replaced Keshubhai, Pandya was transferred state Minister in rank revenue Department,
When Modi’s election to the assembly necessitated the vacating a reserved seat, Pandya refused to give up his constituency. This angered Modi, who contested the bypoll from Rajkot. Pandya resigns from Ministry of Revenue In August 2002 citing his differences with Modi. He said, ‘I do not want the whims of any one person to harm the party.’ Told, Pandya was denied a ticket to contest the 2002 elections assembly elections in december despite pressure on modi do this, Modi admitted himself to the hospital it seems To avoid pressure. feel it Modi will not step downPandya withdrew himself from the race. next year, he was shot Feather His regular morning walk.
Harin Pathak was also considered a prominent leader of the second generation like Harin Pandya. was first selected for Lok Sabha in 1989, when BJP was struggling to come to Power. A is known Lal Krishna Advani’s loyalist Pathak was a seven-time MP from 1989 to 2014. they were ministers of State For He had to resign after his defense in Vajpayee’s cabinet. One Ahmedabad CourtOn 3 November 2000, framed allegations Against him and minister in Gujarat government Ashok Bhatt Allegedly Inciting a mob that killed a policeman during the 1985 anti-reservation riots. The resignation could not affect Pathak’s political career, but his relationships Done with Advani. Pathak’s career came to an end in 2014 when he was denied a ticket to contest Lok Sabha Elections. was replaced by Bollywood Actor Paresh Rawal.
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at the mercy of Modi
While some leaders were completely sidelined or steamrolled, other Wings were saved from being cut. Vajubhai Vala was a generation senior to Modi and a strong leader from the Saurashtra region like Keshubhai Patel. He handled important portfolios like revenue and finance Keshubhai as well as in Modi’s cabinet, Vala was known to target Modi in a colloquial style. When Modi left for Delhi in 2014, he was the frontrunner for the chief minister’s post. But He It did not happen. he had to settle Post Speaker of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly And Anandiben Patel took over as Chief Minister. gonna be made Governor of Karnataka later, signaling the end of his career in electoral politics.
Saurabh Patel was a comparatively young and educated minister, who served in the Chief Ministerships Modi and Anandiben. He held several portfolios including Industry and Energy. MBA from US, Son in law of Ambani family (He Is Mukesh—married to Anil Ambani’s cousin), and Saurabh Patel, a Patidar leader, was projected by some sections as a future chief minister. But after Anandiben’s resignation, he was dropped from Vijay Rupani’s cabinet. This was an indication that his projection as CM would be just that. Later, He was included in Rupani’s cabinet but was dropped again along with the entire cabinet. he announced that he was not in the field For the 2022 assembly elections.
Anandiben Patel was leader Who can become the Chief Minister. He was chosen as Modi’s successor. His The closeness with him in political circles was well known Gujarat Media. He handled portfolios like education and revenue in Modi’s cabinet. Though she was at loggerheads with Amit Shah, she managed one Tenure as Chief Minister. In a surprise move, she announced her resignation from the post halfway through his tenure in a facebook post when She turned 75. After his resignation he was compensated with governorships in different states, apparently ending his electoral career and ambitions.
After the resignation of Anandiben, no leader has been seen in independent power in Gujarat. His successors and other ministers have been obedient and easily replaceable. They will not dare to assert themselves, clearly aware That they are at the mercy of Modi more than their voters. They have to follow the ‘guidance’ of select bureaucrats who take their orders directly from Delhi.
Complete centralization of power, neutralizing the stature of other leaders was successfully used in the laboratory of Gujarat. It has been replicated nationally with equal success. This The original is the ‘Gujarat Model’.
Urvish Kothari is a senior columnist and writer based in Ahmedabad. Thoughts are personal.
(Edited by Tarannum Khan)