Gujarat:
Ahead of the Assembly elections, Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel on Monday offered to resign requesting the BJP leadership to relieve her from the post as she is soon going to be 75. Under the leadership of Patel, who has been a minister in the BJP government since 1998 and CM from 2014, the BJP for the first time in the post-Narendra Modi era in Gujarat is facing a tough challenge from its opponents. Here are seven probable reasons that could have influenced her to opt for resignation.
1: Patel had to face some upsets as BJP recently fared badly in the rural civic bodies polls in December 2015 and the opposition Congress making gains at the cost of the saffron rival.
2: She also had to face the fierce Patel community quota agitation, one of the factors which contributed to BJP losing in rural local bodies polls, while retaining urban areas.
3: It is a home state for PM Narendra Modi and any negative development counts to depriciate his historical image in the state.
4: Growing incidents of protests in Gujarat are hampering PM Modi's Centre image, which can go negative for BJP's UP poll goals.
5: Recently, the Dalit uprising after the Una trashing incident had also dented the image of party.
6: Following Una incident, 1 Dalit man killed himself while 18 other tried to commit suicide.
7: Allegation on her of favouring her relatives during her tenure. She has been alleged of giving land to Anar Singh near Gir for a very low price.
