Gujarat elections 2022: Former CM Rupani among 4 BJP leaders to exit poll fray
Gujarat elections 2022: Bhupendra Patel replaced Vijay Rupani as chief minister in 2021, when Nitin Patel was also dropped from the cabinet as the BJP attempted to stave off anti-incumbency by changing virtually the entire council of ministers.
Four heavyweight Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in Gujarat, including former chief minister Vijay Rupani and his deputy Nitin Patel, announced on Wednesday that they won’t contest in the upcoming assembly elections. The party is looking to launch new faces and is likely to replace 30% of its MLAs, a BJP official familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity.
The separate announcements by Rupani, Patel, former education minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama and former minister of state for home, Pradeepsinh Jadeja, came a day after the BJP held its central election committee meeting in New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah, who both hail from Gujarat and are leading the party’s campaign, were a part of the meeting.
Bhupendra Patel replaced Vijay Rupani as chief minister in 2021, when Nitin Patel was also dropped from the cabinet as the BJP attempted to stave off anti-incumbency by changing virtually the entire council of ministers. “Both Rupani and Patel have indicated to the party that they are not interested in contesting in the coming elections,” said BJP spokesperson Yamal Vyas.
The BJP is looking for its seventh straight assembly election victory in its stronghold of Gujarat, which goes to the polls in two phases on December 1 and 5. The western state is witnessing its first triangular electoral contest since 1990 with the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party attempting to dislodge the BJP.
Rupani said that 5-6 days ago, he wrote to Gujarat BJP unit chief CR Patil expressing his contention not to contest. “Even in the parliamentary board meeting, I clearly stated that it would be improper, if I have to serve as a common legislator after having served as chief minister for five years. Besides that, the party has given a lot to me and newer faces should get a chance and therefore, I have decided not to contest,” Rupani said.
He added that he was in-charge of Punjab and his name was included in the list of star campaigners for the party in the Gujarat elections.
Nitin Patel also wrote to Patil and said he didn’t want to fight the upcoming polls.
“I don’t want to contest for the Mehsana constituency seat and I request not to include my name for the candidature nomination list…I will always be indebted to crores of Gujarati, lakhs of BJP workers and Narendra Modi for the guidance and inspiration I received. I will continue to serve the party life long as a dedicated worker,” the letter said. HT has seen a copy of the letter.
Both Chudasama and Jadeja said that they informed the party about their intention not to contest. “I contested elections nine times and expressed my gratitude to the party,” Chudasama said. Jadeja said the party gave him the chance to be a lawmaker four times and also appointed him a minister. “I do not wish to contest elections,” he said.
“Both senior leaders have always thought of the party first and in this decision too, they must have thought some good for the party,” Vyas said.