How do you raise the bar when you have 156 of the 182 assembly seats and all the Lok Sabha seats in a state? Gujarat BJP president C.R. Paatil seemed to have found the answer. He has been exhorting the rank and file to retain all 26 seats in next year’s general election while winning with a margin of five lakh votes in every seat. In light of the overwhelming support from the electorate in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state, everything seemed perfect for the party, till recently.
Over the last two months, the Gujarat BJP has been dealing with corruption charges, suspensions, resignations and even arrests. The latest came as a shocker―Pradipsinh Vaghela’s resignation. The 43-year-old was one of the most influential party general secretaries. While the party has said that he resigned because of personal reasons, the grapevine has it that he was asked to leave following allegations of corruption in land deals and his alleged involvement in matters pertaining to the Gujarat University.
Vaghela, a confidant of Paatil, could not be reached, despite several attempts. Shortly before the Vaghela episode, there was the worry over a pen drive and pamphlets, which reportedly contained material to defame Paatil. Surat Police arrested three persons, including a close aide of former cabinet minister Ganpat Vasava.
Evidently, all is not well within the state BJP. Since Modi’s rise to the top rung of the state unit around the turn of the millennium, there had been great emphasis on the discipline of the cadres. Therefore, the recent disorder is noteworthy. But, it is unlikely to dent the BJP’s image among the electorate. The Congress has to try, of course, to use this perceived weakness to its advantage.
“Absolute power corrupts,” said Manish Doshi, chief spokesperson, state Congress about the ruling party which has been in power since the mid-1990s. “The corruption is at every level in the BJP. In the past, too, we have highlighted the corruption of the BJP and we will continue to do so.” he further added. New entrant Aam Aadmi Party, too, is trying to milk the issue. AAP state general secretary Sagar Rabari said that his party would make representations to investigating agencies to escalate the issue of corruption.
A senior BJP leader, who requested anonymity, admitted that discipline had suffered in recent years and that personal ambitions are becoming increasingly discernible. In the case of Vaghela, even senior party leaders do not know what happened, but they are clear on one thing―instructions came from New Delhi. Paatil has been silent on both Vaghela’s resignation and the alleged attempt to defame him.
There has been many raised eyebrows over Vaghela being asked to leave when he is not the only BJP leader facing allegations. Vaghela, who hails from Bakrana village in Ahmedabad, was seen as an ambitious person. He has also been accused of being arrogant. A student leader who came through the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, he held several positions in the BJP, before being appointed general secretary in 2020 after Paatil took over as state president.
With absolute power and virtually no opposition, there is more ambition within the BJP’s rank and file. After the Lok Sabha polls next year, the elections to municipal corporations are scheduled for the end of 2025. All municipal corporations in Gujarat are, unsurprisingly, governed by the BJP.
Discontent is also creeping in within the leaders as not all 26 sitting MPs are likely to be repeated. Sources in the BJP claim that at least 20 would be changed. As a result, there is hope and some acrimony. The Saurashtra region has seen an MP and an MLA hurling accusations at each other.
Ahmedabad-based political analyst Ghanshyam Shah said he is not surprised by what is happening in the BJP. “It is a power struggle,” he said. “It was observed during the mid-1990s when Shankersinh Vaghela rebelled against the BJP.” Shah said it was too early to say if it would tarnish the image of the BJP.
Yamal Vyas, chief spokesperson of state BJP, also recalled Shankersinh Vaghela’s rebellion and said such issues were also seen then. “The party has a robust system in place,” he said. “It keeps imparting training to the workers on various issues. It will identify the people responsible.”