Opinion Anandiben Patel resigns: Gujarat sees a redux of 2001, will another Modi emerge?
Anandiben's resignation bears an uncanny resemblance to circumstances which led to then chief minister Keshubhai Patel's exit as CM in 2001.
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Anandiben Patel and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (Archives)
With Assembly elections just a year away, Anandiben Patel on Monday resigned as Chief Minister of Gujarat. Her decision came as the state has seen mass protests over the flogging of a Dalit family by a so-called cow vigilante group for skinning a cow. During a rally on Sunday, the Dalit community had put the BJP-led government on notice, saying they will teach the party a lesson in the elections next year.
Anandiben’s resignation bears an uncanny resemblance to circumstances which led to then chief minister Keshubhai Patel’s exit as CM in 2001. Like her, Keshubhai was under severe pressure and facing criticism after the BJP lost by-elections to the Sabarkanta Lok Sabha and Sabarmati Assembly seats. There was already a lot of simmering frustration against him and the BJP government in the state following its handling of the devastating 2001 earthquake in the state.
Also read | Anandiben Patel resigns as Gujarat chief minister
Keshubhai was the BJP heavyweight until then. But the party decided to make then general secretary Narendra Modi the new chief minister of the state which was going to polls the next year. And the rest, as they say, is history. Elections were held in the shadow of the 2002 Gujarat riots in a highly polarised environment. Modi handed BJP a victory and established himself as the powerful leader of the party. He went on to repeat the same feat twice in the subsequent elections. After the 2012 elections and his ‘record of delivering good governance’ in the state, Modi grew his stature in the party and was announced the prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. In 2001, Keshubhai’s resignation was Modi’s gain.
Watch | Anandiben Patel Resigns As Gujarat Chief Minister
Now that Anandiben Patel has resigned with elections to the Assembly scheduled for next year, the party is once again facing the same crisis of looking for a new face. Though the 2002 riots did help Modi electorally, 2016 is a different scenario altogether. The state government is facing charges of inept handling of the Dalit protests which has claimed many lives. Earlier, the Patidar agitation had brought the state government to its knees, forcing it to announce a quota for the Patidar community. Hardik Patel, the young leader of the Patidars, has issued open threat to the BJP. When he was released from jail recently, thousands turned up to greet him.
Also read | AAP’s popularity in Gujarat forced Anandiben Patel to quit: Arvind Kejriwal
Even as the party was assessing the damage after the Patidar agitation, the protests against the recent Dalit atrocities swept over the state and even spilled over to Uttar Pradesh where it has another election to fight. And those who are behind these attacks are believed to be people from the saffron brigade only. Whoever takes charge in Gujarat, the task is cut out for him/her. The BJP held sway in the state for many years, but let’s face it, Modi has left really large shoes for someone to fill.
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