Express News Service
MUMBAI: The BJP is making a big gamble ahead of the 2022 Gujarat state Assembly elections by showing the door to all ministers who served in the Vijay Rupani government. The party’s no-repeat theory means only fresh faces will be inducted into the new cabinet.
Sources said, the new Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel was forced to cancel the scheduled swearing-in of his cabinet on Wednesday due to resentment from the old guard over the no-repeat theory of the party’s high command. The stage where the swearing-in event was to take place was reportedly dismantled on Wednesday.
After news of the no-repeat theory came out, supporters of Kunvrji Bavaliya, an influential leader of the fishing community, who was a minister in the Rupani government, expressed their displeasure at their leader being dropped from the new cabinet.They said the BJP must prepare to face the consequences if Bavaliya is not given a place in Patel’s cabinet.
“The BJP high command has given green signal to Bhupendra Patel for no-repeat theory cabinet. All the ministers of former chief minister Vijay Rupani cabinet will be dropped and replaced with new and fresh faces. Besides, former ministers are also unlikely to get a place in the new cabinet.
But looking at the resentment, Bhupendra Patel was forced to cancel the scheduled swearing on Wednesday because Mr Patel wants everyone on the same page. He wants to make consensus among all young and old people and then go ahead BJP high command plan,” said a senior BJP leader on condition of anonymity.
“ Bhupendra Patel, a first-time MLA, was surprisingly made the chief minister of Gujarat. On the same lines, fresh faces will be inducted into the new cabinet. The BJP high command has instructed that no old and former ministers should be included in the new cabinet. The priority will be given to young and fresh faces ahead of the 2022 Gujarat state Assembly elections,” the source added.
“The old guards and former ministers are insisting that if they are not given a place in the new cabinet, at least their loyalists or close associates must be inducted. A heavy lobbying has been done by the old guard,” said senor a journalist from Gujarat.
