Gujarat is a state that sends just 26 MPs to the Lok Sabha. However, the state is always in focus electorally as Gujarat is known to be the BJP’s laboratory for political experiments. The performance of the saffron party in Gujarat speaks volumes when it comes to the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he frequently cities “Gujarat Model” of development in his speeches.
The state has been witnessing dramatic political scenes in the last couple of days with the appointment of a new chief minister and the complete overhaul of the state cabinet. Not a single minister of Vijay Rupani government has been accommodated in the new government under Bhupendra Patel. This is probably for the first time in the country that all ministers of the previous government have been shown the door.
Rupani had resigned to pave way for appointment of first-time MLA Patel, a close confidante of former chief minister and UP Governor Anandiben Patel. The move was necessitated to cover up the alleged failure of the Rupani-led government to handle the second wave of COVID-19 and to appease the powerful Patidar community, which comprises nearly 14 per cent of state’s electorate.
After becoming chief minister of Gujarat in 2001, and winning comfortably the assembly election in 2002, Modi had changed all the sitting corporators in 2005 civic elections. The experiment worked well for the party.
While bringing in a new team of ministers, the party high command has ensured that the caste equations are balanced, keeping in mind 2022 state assembly polls. The BJP has also tried to ensure various regions are represented in the state cabinet. This time around, there are a good number of ministers from South Gujarat, from where state party president C.R. Patil hails.
Among the 10 cabinet ministers and 14 ministers of state, there are seven Patidars, seven OBC members, two Brahmins, three STs, two SCs two Kshatriyas and one Jain.
Interestingly, only three ministers in the Patel cabinet have administrative experience. These are Rajendra Trivedi, who had served in Anandiben Patel government, Raghavji Patel, who was a minister in Shankersinh Vaghela government and Kiritsinh Rana, who was part of Keshubhai Patel and Narendra Modi governments.
On the face of it, everything seems to be in order in Gujarat BJP. However, the very fact that the swearing-in ceremony had to be postponed by a day at the last moment suggests otherwise.
Meanwhile, the hoardings set up at the Governor House had to be removed as it made an effort to convince the outgoing ministers about the party’s decision to go by ‘no repeat’ policy.
