While Gujarat’s embattled Chief Minister, Anandiben Patel offered to resign from her post on Monday, ahead of the 2017 state polls, the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party have poured in with their reactions to her decision.
Congress said her resignation was “overdue” and accused the BJP leadership of trying to protect her in spite of “growing unrest” among Dalits and the Patidar community over her handling of issues related to them.
Patel’s resignation has come amidst allegations of failure to check attacks on Dalits in the state, though she cited her age as the reason for her decision. She said she wanted to step down before she turned 75 in November.
This is not a voluntary decision taken by Patel. Diktat from the party high-command in Delhi is behind it. If she claims that she is resigning as she will turn 75 years in November, then she could have offered to quit just one month before November. Why has she offered it so early?Senior Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela
Meanwhile, Congress leader in Gujarat Ahmed Patel called her resignation an indication of the BJP’s defeat in the state.
The Aam Aadmi Party also joined the wagon, with party chief Arvind Kejriwal claiming credit for her resignation.
The Delhi Chief Minister who has set his eyes on the western state, said it was the “triumph” of AAP’s fight against corruption in Gujarat.
AAP spokesperson Ashutosh said Patel’s offer to resign was mere drama and that she was actually being “sacked”. In a series of tweets, he called her resignation the BJP’s knee-jerk reaction to AAP’s growing presence in the state.
In a post on Facebook earlier on Monday, Patel said that she has been handling several responsibilities for the BJP for 30 years, and also served as the first female Chief Minister of the state.
Patel also cited the unwritten convention in the party, set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to which those attaining the age of 75 have to quit the post, as one of the reasons for her wish to resign.
Saying that she was going to be 75 years of age in November, it was time for the “next generation” to take care of the upcoming state Assembly polls in 2017 and the Vibrant Gujarat Summit.
Here’s Patel’s full Facebook post.
Media reports suggested that BJP President of Gujarat Vijay Rupani had accepted her resignation. However, BJP Chief Amit Shah later said,
She has requested the party to relieve her of the post. I will place the letter she has written to me before the Parliamentary Board and it will take a decision. She has said that if a new person has to be brought in, then he should get time.
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