CR Paatil, key to BJP Gujarat success, headed for bigger things

Seen as Modi’s man, the brain behind several changes in the state unit, including down to panna level, Paatil is seen as bound for a role at the national level, if after 2024

3 min readGandhinagarUpdated: Dec 11, 2022 09:54 AM IST

The two Assembly seats falling under the Lok Sabha constituency of state BJP president C R Paatil, Surat East and Limbayat, saw a tough contest. (File)

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CR Paatil, key to BJP Gujarat success, headed for bigger things

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With the BJP holding on to Gujarat with its highest margin ever, the spotlight is on the role its state chief Chandrakant Raghunath Paatil, popularly known as CR Paatil, will assume going forward.

Paatil, who was appointed state chief in July 2020, first set a target of winning “all 182 seats” in the state. The party went on to reconfigure this around the 1985’s Congress’s record of 149 seats, and eventually surpassed the count by winning 156, including the seven in the Navrasi Lok Sabha constituency that Paatil represents.

Also read | BJP’s tale of contrasts: Why Gujarat strategy clicked, but Himachal did not

BJP functionaries that spoke to The Indian Express said they believed that the party high command will certainly be giving Paatil “a bigger role, most probably at the national level”.

Seen as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s man in Gujarat, Paatil rapidly brought in changes to the state’s party unit to focus and shape its grassroots party workers after his appointment. He constituted page committees (a group of party workers or supporters on each page of a voters’ list of a constituency) to oversee voters at a local level. The BJP has now replicated the model in other states. His imprint was also visible in things such as the newly fashioned saffron caps party leaders sported this campaign season.

The huge exercise of changing the Vijay Rupani government in September 2021, and replacing it with the Bhupendra Patel government, was done under Paatil’s supervision.

Paatil was also the first party state leader to address the media after the emphatic victory. In his speech in Hindi, Paatil announced that Bhupendra Paatil would be the next Chief Minister of Gujarat.

Also read | Suhas Palshikar writes: BJP’s victory in Gujarat has an afterlife that we must pay attention to

Forecasting a clear and bigger role for Paatil in coming days, a senior party leader said, “Paatil has proved himself. The results show that. Being someone of Marathi origin, he has led the party in Gujarat to such a historic victory. It’s an achievement. He has taken the micro-level management of elections to the next level through effective use of page committees.”

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The leader added: “It seems that the party will continue him as Gujarat chief at least till the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and then may move him to some other role.”

Calling him one of the “main reasons” for the BJP’s victory, a party leader said, “While Modi was definitely key for the party’s victory, the role played by Paatil cannot be ruled out. He has done a commendable job as party president while getting this historic and immortal win. He is clearly due for a reward by the party. That reward could be anything. Only time will tell.”

A source in the BJP said Paatil could even “get a ministerial berth in the Union cabinet after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections”.

Parimal A Dabhi

Parimal A Dabhi works with The Indian Express as Chief of Bureau, focusing on the state of Gujarat. Leveraging his seniority and access, Dabhi is recognized for his reporting on the complex interplay of law, politics, social justice, and governance within the region. Expertise & Authority Core Authority (Social Justice and Law): Dabhi is a key source for in-depth coverage of caste-based violence, discrimination, and the state's response to social movements, particularly those involving Patidar, Dalit and OBC communities. His reporting focuses on the societal and legal fallout of these issues: Caste and Discrimination: He has reported extensively on social boycotts and instances of violence against Dalits (such as the attack on a Dalit wedding party in Patan), the community's demands (like refusing to pick carcasses), and the political responses from leaders like Jignesh Mevani. Judicial and Legal Affairs: He tracks significant, high-stakes legal cases and judgments that set precedents in Gujarat, including the convictions under the stringent Gujarat Animal Preservation Act (cow slaughter), 2002 Gujarat riots and developments in cases involving former police officers facing charges of wrongful confinement and fake encounters. Political and Administrative Oversight: Dabhi provides essential coverage of the inner workings of the state government and the opposition, ensuring a high degree of Trustworthiness in political analysis: State Assembly Proceedings: He frequently reports directly from the Gujarat Assembly, covering Question Hour, discussion on various Bills, debates on budgetary demands for departments like Social Justice, and ministerial statements on issues like illegal mining, job quotas for locals, and satellite-based farm loss surveys. Electoral Politics: His work details key political developments, including election analysis (voter turnout records), party organizational changes (like the end of C R Patil’s tenure as BJP chief), and campaign dynamics. ... Read More

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