Gujarat development model sham: Sena on new CM

September 14, 2021 17:06

Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel meets Deputy CM Nitin Patel

The Shiv Sena on Tuesday said the sudden change of guard in Gandhinagar, where first-time BJP MLA Bhupendra Patel has been appointed the new chief minister, reflected the style of functioning generally associated with the Congress and claimed the move shows the 'balloon' of Gujarat's development model has burst.

An editorial in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' said the people of Gujarat were extremely angry over the "collapse" of healthcare system during the second wave of COVID-19, when Vijay Rupani was the chief minister, and the BJP also realized that the influential Patidar community, to which Patel belongs, is miffed with the party, leading to the change at the top in the adjoining state.

"The same thing takes place in the Congress and we have to call it democracy," quipped the Sena, a former BJP ally which now shares power with the Congress and the NCP in Maharashtra.

With the sudden leadership change, the editorial claimed the "balloon' of Gujarat's model of development, governance and democracy has now burst. "Patel was not even made a minister in the last four years, but he was directly made the chief minister. If Gujarat was truly on path of progress, then why did the BJP change its chief minister overnight?" the Marathi daily sought to know.

Amid the cacophony of 'vikas' (development), if leadership is suddenly changed, people raise doubts, it said. "Is this the Gujarat model where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will actually have to call the shots by keeping Patel at the forefront ahead of the state polls (due in December next year)?" the editorial asked.

Patel is a staunch supporter of former Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel while Rupani had the backing of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and this would make the coming days "chaotic as well as interesting," the publication said.

"Replacing Rupani with Patel was a facile act. The BJP is convinced that it would face a backlash due to unemployment, closure of major factories, including carmaker Ford's plant near Ahmedabad," it said.

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