Dropped, Gujarat govt's most industry-friendly face refuses to tweet congrats after new CM Rupani takes over

Modi, Saurabh Patel, Mukesh Ambani

By Rajiv Shah
In a surprise move, Saurabh Patel, long considered the most industry-friendly face, has failed to find place in the new Cabinet. There is no official explanation why Saurabh, who was in charge of three most important portfolios in the Cabinet minister, finance, industry and energy and petrochemicals in the Cabinet, was humbled.
While speculation is rife among well-informed circles in Gujarat that Saurabh was long “tipped” to be part of the Government of India, and stage had been set for it, those who met him at the swearing-in ceremony of Rupani and his ministerial colleagues on Sunday say he was “put off” and “disturbed.”
Saurabh's official Twitter handle, @saurabhpatelguj, shows that while he would tweet almost daily without fail about the “developmental” activities under the last Anandiben Patel government as also the Modi government at the centre on issues related with the departments he headed, the last time he did this was on August 5.
On August 5, Saurabh tweeted complimenting Rupani on being announced as the new chief minister. Not only did he refuse to put in any go on Twitter on August 6, even the on the day Rupani formally took over after taking oath, August 7, there was no tweet from Saurabh congratulating the new chief minister.
While those around him admit that he was "axed" because he has failed to build political base, others say, he is out of favour. According to a top political observer, with knowledge of goings-on in the power circles, Saurabh was “out of favour” of Anandiben Patel. On the other hand, he failed to establish any rapport rapport with all-India BJP president Amit Shah, who is said to have called the shots in the formation of the new Cabinet under Rupani.
A person without any saffron background, Saurabh is son-in-law of Ramniklal Ambani, brother of top tycoon late Dhirubhai Ambani, and maintains good relations with Mukesh Ambani, Reliance chairman. With no RSS background, he has not allowed himself to be coloured with the saffron ideology. Yet, his closeness to Modi, under whom he served in Gujarat government after 2002, was never in doubt.

Last tweet by Saurabh Patel on Aug 5, which congratulated Rupani for

being chosen as Gujarat CM. No such tweet after Rupani was sworn

in as CM on Aug 7

The only minister in the previous Anandiben Patel government who could communicate with ease in English, he is known to be a key organizer of the biennial Vibrant Gujarat world business summits ever since 2003. He had unmatched understanding of finance, too, and was a key minister to have created an atmosphere of support for goods and services tax (GST) for Modi, sitting in Gandhinagar.
While he was expected to play a key role in the 2017 Vibrant Gujarat summit, scheduled for January 11-12, a senior official said, “He was found not so indispensable. When Modi would be here for the summit, the entire Government of India machinery would go out to make the summit a great success.”
No doubt, Modi would need him. In the 2012 Gujarat state assembly elections, Modi shifted him from Botad, his constituency, where he was on slippery grounds, to Vadodara, a safe BJP seat. Said a senior leader, “Anandiben Patel and Amit Shah may not like him, but Saurabh remains in good books of Modi, one reason why there is a view that he might be taken to the Centre.”
Many say, Saurabh appears to have been “axed” because of his overt ambitions. He began to see himself as the next chief ministerial, virtually ran a parallel administration in the three departments he held, finance, industry and energy and petrochemicals, something his boss, Anandiben Patel, never liked.
Operating under him, controversy began surrounding the Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC), which has an accumulated debt of Rs 20,000 crore, with complete inability of the top PSU to deliver any gas from its KG Basin exploration; the announced 20 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of gas in KG, the largest ever by an Indian company, proved to be a hoax.
Soon after Anandiben Patel resigned on August 2, comments started appearing in influential sections of the media that Saurabh was the “fittest person” to become Gujarat's chief minister, and he never denied any of it. In fact, he was heard telling someone, he had the “capacity of doing which is work equal to a dozen bureaucrats.”
It is still not clear whether Saurabh, who played an important role in the empowered group of ministers of finance ministers in campaign for GST, would be "rescued" by Modi. “Rajya Sabha elections are a year away. So, he would have to wait to be shifted toDelhi”, commented a senior leader.

Comments

TU activist Anirudh Rajan, lawyer Ajay Kumar in custody: Wounded reputation of world's largest democracy?

By Vedika S* Over the last few days, India's National Investigation Agency (NIA), known to be tasked with suppressing revolutionary, democratic, and progressive forces, conducted a series of raids across Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi. Targets included human rights attorney Pankaj Tripathi, student leader Devendra Azad, and peasant union leader Sukhwinder Kaur. Lawyer and anti-displacement activist Ajay Kumar was arrested and taken to his home in Mohali, which was subsequently raided. He is now imprisoned in Lucknow as a suspect in the NIA's "Northern Regional Bureau (NRB) Revival case."

RG Kar saga: Towards liberation from the constraints of rigid political parties?

By Atanu Roy* There's a saying: "There is no such thing as a half-pregnancy." This adage seems particularly relevant when discussing the current regime of the Trinamool Congress (TMC). The party appears to be entrenched in widespread corruption that affects nearly every aspect of our lives. One must wonder, why would they exclude the health sector—a lucrative area where illicit money can flow freely, thanks to a network of corrupt leaders colluding with ambitious bureaucrats?

India's 55.6% still can't afford healthy diet, yet food wastage a serious issue

By Vikas Meshram According to this year's 'State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World' report, India has the highest number of malnourished people in the world, with a staggering 195 million affected. This report, prepared by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, was published jointly by five UN agencies, including UNICEF. The report also highlights a slight improvement in India's statistics: between 2004-06, the number of malnourished people in the country was 240 million.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah* The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual.

Unwavering source of ideological inspiration in politics, life: Personal tribute to Yechury

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak Sitaram Yechury was everyone's comrade. He lived his life in public like an open book of praxis. Everyone was familiar with his family background, student life, many talents, achievements, and political journey that defines his everyday life as a committed communist.

Trailblazer in literary innovation, critic of Indian mythology, including Ramayana

By Harsh Thakor* Ranganayakamma, commonly known as RN, stands out as a transformative figure in promoting Marxist thought, democratic ideals, and anti-caste principles through her remarkably clear and engaging writing style. A trailblazer in literary innovation, her works span a broad array of topics, from critiques of Indian mythology and revivalism to discussions on civil liberties, the Indian Communist Movement, and Maoism in China.

'Abduction' of labour activist Anirudh Rajan part of a 'troubling trend': CASR

By Our Representative The civil rights network Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) has issued a strong denunciation of the "abduction" of labour rights activist Anirudh Rajan, who was taken by state authorities on September 5, 2024, while traveling to meet his family. This incident is part of a troubling trend, as the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and various state forces have increasingly targeted trade union and democratic rights activists over the past year.

'Void in Leftist landscape': Loss of Sitaram Yechury who had helped form INDIA bloc

By Vikas Meshram* The passing of Sitaram Yechury has cast a profound stillness over leftist organizations across India. Renowned as a distinguished politician, columnist, economist, and social activist, Yechury was a staunch advocate for student rights and movements. His leadership skills became apparent early in his academic career, as he was elected three times as the president of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). Yechury also endured imprisonment during the Emergency period, underscoring his commitment to political activism.

'300 Nazis fell by your gun': Most successful female sniper in history

By Harsh Thakor* "Miss Pavlichenko’s well known to fame, Russia’s your country, fighting is your game. The whole world will always love you for all time to come, Three hundred Nazis fell by your gun." — from Woody Guthrie's “Miss Pavlichenko"

Search This Blog