Gujarat first woman chief minister and senior BJP leader Anandiben Patel has said that she does not want to contest upcoming assembly elections in Gujarat.
Anandiben has stated this in a letter written to party's national president Amit Shah. Dated October 4, the letter came to light on Monday. Interestingly, Shah and Anandiben had held a meeting on October 1.
In her letter, she has cited the 75-year age criterion as the reason for not contesting the elections. "When I resigned as chief minister of Gujarat, I had cited the BJP policy of not holding posts beyond the age of 75. Based on the same principle, I do not intend to contest the 2017 assembly election," she said.
Anandiben has been with the BJP for over 30 years. She urged Shah that in her Ghatlodia constituency (in Ahmedabad), a local party worker be given ticket.
That she does not want to contest elections isn't as simple as it appears to be. In the days to come, the party will find it difficult to convince and handle a section of Patel leaders if she sticks to her stand of not contesting the elections.
When she expressed unwillingness in August 2016 to continue as chief minister and resigned, citing age criterion, Patel leaders in the state had said that injustice was meted out to her. On Monday, after her letter went viral, BJP leader Narayan Patel categorically said that Anandiben should contest elections.
Given the situation in which Patidars have been demanding the OBC status, it would not be a wise decision for the BJP to displease Patels.
BJP's Gujarat Gaurav Yatra has not been getting a great response from the public and in the last few days rumours were doing rounds that Anandiben may well be projected as the chief ministerial candidate or else made the chief minister if the BJP wins the elections. In the 182-member state assembly, the BJP has set a target of winning 150+ seats. The elections are due by the end of the year.
For Anandiben, it is a win-win situation. She could well be in a better position to demand ticket for her daughter Aanar, who is famous in the social circles.
A few months ago, land deals of Aanar's partner near the Gir National Park had come under scanner. A section of the BJP workers suspect that it was the handy work of someone within the party to tarnish Anandiben's image, who succeeded Modi as the chief minister after he moved to Delhi as prime minister.
That Shah and Patel are not on good terms is not a secret in Gujarat. Sources within the BJP, who are close to both Anandiben camp and Shah's camp, do not rule out the possibility that even if she contests elections, efforts will be made to ensure her defeat.
