Has Modi taken a call on Anandiben Patel's removal or it's just speculation?

Report says she might be sent to Punjab or Haryana as governor

Speculations on Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel's removal have gained momentum once again. According to a report, the "buzz" is that Patel, the first woman chief minister of Gujarat, might be sent to Punjab or Haryana as governor and Nitin Patel, the most senior cabinet minister in the state, will succeed her. 

But the supporters of the chief minister say these are just rumours emanating from Delhi.

Obviously, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have a say in replacing a Chief Minister he appointed himself when he moved from Gujarat to Delhi. “I know she looks tough and she doesn’t joke. But she will be a worthy successor,” he had told a public rally.

During her tenure, Gujarat has been rocked by an agitation seeking reservation for the Patel community, and the young leader of the agitation has been jailed on charges of sedition. In fact, the state government also has had to bend and has accepted the demand partially, and the law and order in Gujarat today is as good or bad as any other state. 

Many would argue Patel’s administration is as good – if not better – than Haryana chief minister ML Khattar’s. Haryana was also roiled by a similar reservation agitation and Finance Minister Capt Abhimanyu is on record as saying that for a few days, law and order was not in the hands of the state government. 

In Maharashtra, a revenue Minister had to resign amid charges that he was in touch with Dawood Ibrahim, and the drought situation is so bad that no one actually knows how many heads of cattle have died.

Histroy indicates that Narendra Modi’s style is not to punish chief ministers for incompetence, especially if it is the Congress that is levelling the allegations. True, Anandiben is 75, but both Najma Heptullah and Kalraj Mishra who are also 75-plus continue to be in the government.

What is more, Anandiben was not replaced after the panchayat election defeat of the BJP a year ago. So, if the BJP believed it would weather that setback, why should she be replaced now?

Maybe there is some truth in what her supporters are saying: that rumours about her replacement are emanating from Delhi as part of palace intrigue. Modi's approval is indeed required to replace her, and there is no indication yet that he has done anything of the sort.