BJP unlikely to take a bet on Gujarat CM Anandi Patel in 2017 assembly elections

#GandhiNagar: #Ahmedabad Even after crushing defeat in Gujarat civic polls, BJP may not replace Anandi Patel for now but is still less likely to go to polls under her leadership in 2017 Assembly polls.

Unlike Congress, where electoral defeats call for at least a charade of owning up the responsibility and tendering resignation, in BJP such things don’t happen. Half as old as Congress, BJP still fears the charades being taken seriously and thus avoids such pretensions.

The result of local body elections in Gujarat therefore is being translated as BJP’s retention of urban centres as “some issues” in rural areas.

With a systematic decimation of the leadership in party along with opposition over the last decade has ensured only speculating murmurs and no serious voice gaining ground in the political landscape of the state.

While the sub-terrainial disquiet is evident from the mysterious surfacing of posters seeking re-entry of Sanjay Joshi into state polity across Ahmedabad this week and their prompt removal by far there is nothing to suggest that there would be any change in the leadership at the top at least for now.

BJP workers off the record however mince no word in admitting that any attempt to go to polls in 2017 under the first woman chief minister would translate into a to tal rout for the party. But for now that is only a scared murmur. After all, any voice against the chosen one puts at stake the glottal tubes at the altar of power.

Party workers however expect that Patel would be given an honourable exit route prior to Assembly elections in the state citing her age as she completes 75 years on November 21 next year.

“She may be parked away in some gubernatorial position somewhere after that, but for sure party is not likely to hazard a risk on Gujarat under her leadership in 2017,” says a senior party functionary.

For sure, Prime Minister Narendra Modi or BJP for that matter can ill afford to take a chance on Gujarat under any circumstances.