As cracks appear in BJP's Hindutva agenda, Gujarat CM Anandiben Patel "quits" second time in two months

By A Representative
In a move which has surprised few political observers in Gujarat, chief minister Anandiben Patel on Monday declares her decision to quit the powerful post, which she suggested has not been easy to handle as she succeeded a "towering" Narendra Modi.
She said, succeeding Modi to work as chief minister was “as difficult as counting stars”, though hastening to adds, she has not “fallen back in taking forward the quick pace of development” set by her predecessor.
All knew, Anandiben would quit in November, when she turns 75. The only surprising factor in the whole episode is, she declared her decision on a Facebook post, saying she had offered to quit to top BJP leadership two months earlier, too. Hence, she says, “through this letter (Facebook post), I again ask the party's senior leaders to relieve me.”
Amidst speculations who might succeed, she said in her open letter that she was just “following” the glorious precedence in the party of voluntarily quitting responsibility to allow younger leaders to take over, she said, she turns 75 in November, and believes enough time should be given to the new leader to organize the Vibrant Gujarat business summit in January 2017, and later the assembly elections in December 2017.
What may have expedited Anandiben's decision to quit, which in any case was coming, say observers, is the latest round of Dalit agitation, which for the first time broke a major Hindutva experiment – of driving a wedge between the Dalits and the Muslims, begun two decades ago, reaching a zenith in 2002 Gujarat riots.

Vijay Rupani: Front runner

Cow vigilantes, ideological cohorts of the BJP-Sangh Parivar, had attacked Dalits in Una, leading Dalits to “find friends” among Muslims, seen by the Hindutva brigade as the main antagonists of cow protection.
The latest round of Dalit agitation in Sabarmati on Sunday saw at least a thousand Muslims participate in an agitation, with Mufti Abdul Qayyum, acquitted by the Supreme Court from charges of terrorism in the Akshardham attack of September 2012, participating in the event. As he came to the stage, there were slogans of “Dalit-Muslim ekta zindabadad”.
Even more interesting was when Dalits belonging to the area next to the Naroda-Patiya, where one of the ghastliest massacre of Muslims took place in 2002, took out a silent rally on July 27, tying scarf on their head, said to be as a mark of protest against the “betrayal” they had suffered at the hands of the Vashwa Hindu Parishad. Many described it as an attempt of Dalits to “repent” for attacking Muslims.
The Hindutva talk of "Hindu unity" as the main support base for BJP received another setback: Already turned against BJP, Patel agitation leaders began declaring their intention to befriend those considered their main enemies till now in the quota game – the Dalits and the other backward class (OBC). The Gujarat CM failed to control or cajole Patels, agitating for a year now.
Hardik Patel, released from jail, first supported the Dalit agitation, and then said he also “supported” the OBC demand for better facilities to fight backwardness.
Meanwhile, among those who are considered as likely successors of Anandiben who could carry forward Modi's Hindutva agenda, wrapped in the developmental scarf, are India's BJP chief Amit Shah, the right-hand of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, followed by state BJP chief Vijay Rupani.
While Shah is ruled out because Modi “requires” him to manage all-India politics, many consider Rupani as the front-runner. An affable leader, he is known to be close to both Shah and Modi.
Other likely options being considered include Ganpat Vasava, speaker of the Gujarat state assembly, and state industries and finance minister Saurabh Patel.
An adivasi from South Gujarat and known for keeping BJP flock together, Vasava's choice, it is believed, might help BJP win tribal votes, an area where the BJP particularly weak. As for Saurabh Patel, a refined politician, known for openly pro-industry stance, but is weak on Hindutva agenda.

Comments

Civil society flags widespread violations of land acquisition Act before Parliamentary panel

By Jag Jivan Civil society organisations and stakeholders from across India have presented stark evidence before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj , alleging systemic violations of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RFCTLARR) Act, 2013 , particularly in Scheduled Areas and tribal regions.

When democracy becomes a performance: The Tibetan exile experience

By Tseten Lhundup* I was born in Bylakuppe, one of the largest Tibetan settlements in southern India. From childhood, I grew up in simple barracks, along muddy roads, and in fields with limited resources. Over the years, I have watched our democratic system slowly erode. Observing the recent budget session of the 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, these “democratic procedures” appear grand and orderly on the surface, yet in reality they amount to little more than empty formalities. The parliamentarians seem largely disconnected from the everyday struggles faced by ordinary exiled Tibetans like us.

Manufacturing, services: India's low-skill, middle-skill labour remains underemployed

By Francis Kuriakose* The Indian economy was in a state of deceleration well before Covid-19 made its impact in early 2020. This can be inferred from the declining trends of four important macroeconomic variables that indicate the health of the economy in the last quarter of 2019.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Beyond the island: Top mythologist reorients the geography of the Ramayana

By Jag Jivan In a compelling new analysis that challenges conventional geographical assumptions about the ancient epic, writer and mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik has traced the roots of the Ramayana to the forests and river systems of Central and Eastern India, rather than the peninsular south or the modern island nation of Sri Lanka.

Food security? Gujarat govt puts more than 5 lakh ration cards in the 'silent' category

By Pankti Jog* A new statistical report uploaded by the Gujarat government on the national food security portal shows that ensuring food security for the marginalized community is still not a priority of the state. The statistical report, uploaded on December 24, highlights many weaknesses in implementing the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in state.

The soundtrack of resistance: How 'Sada Sada Ya Nabi' is fueling the Iran war

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The Persian track “ Sada Sada Ya Nabi ye ” by Hossein Sotoodeh has taken the world by storm. This viral media has cut across linguistic barriers to achieve cult status, reaching over 10 million views. The electrifying music and passionate rendition by the Iranian singer have resonated across the globe, particularly as the high-intensity military conflict involving Iran entered its second month in March 2026.

Why Indo-Pak relations have been on 'knife’s edge' , hostilities may remain for long

By Utkarsh Bajpai* The past few decades have seen strides being made in all aspects of life – from sticks and stones to weaponry. The extreme case of this phenomenon has been nuclear weapons. The menace caused by nuclear weapons in the past is unforgettable. Images of Hiroshima and Nagasaki from 1945 come to mind, after the United States dropped two atomic bombs on the cities.

Incarceration of Prof Saibaba 'revives' the question: What is crime, who is criminal?

By Kunal Pant* In 2016, a Supreme Court Judge asked the state of Maharashtra, “Do you want to extract a pound of flesh?” The statement was directed against the state for contesting the bail plea of Delhi University Professor GN Saibaba. Saibaba was arrested in 2014, a justification for which was to prevent him from committing what the police called “anti-national activities.”

Search This Blog