Won't contest 2017 Gujarat Assembly polls: Anandiben Patel to Amit Shah
ECONOMICTIMES.COM|
Updated: Oct 09, 2017, 04.18 PM IST
NEW DELHI: Former Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel has decided not to contest the upcoming 2017 Assembly elections. Patel wrote to Amit Shah to convey her decision.
In her letter to Shah, Patel cited her age and urged the party chief to give tickets to meritorious candidates.
She also said that she is ready to take any other responsibility as given by the party and will keep working for the party.
Patel had resigned as Gujarat CM in August 2016. In her Facebook post, she had cited an unwritten convention set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which mandates party leaders above the age of 75 to quit the post.
As seen by some party insiders, the root cause behind her resignation were the BJP's loss in the 2015 local self-government elections and the Patidar agitation led by Hardik Patel.
Opposition parties such as Congress and Aam Aadmi Party had been demanding her resignation, citing various issues including farmer and Dalit crisis.
Anandiben Patel represents the Ghatlodia constituency since 1987.
More details are awaited.
In her letter to Shah, Patel cited her age and urged the party chief to give tickets to meritorious candidates.
She also said that she is ready to take any other responsibility as given by the party and will keep working for the party.
Patel had resigned as Gujarat CM in August 2016. In her Facebook post, she had cited an unwritten convention set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which mandates party leaders above the age of 75 to quit the post.
As seen by some party insiders, the root cause behind her resignation were the BJP's loss in the 2015 local self-government elections and the Patidar agitation led by Hardik Patel.
Opposition parties such as Congress and Aam Aadmi Party had been demanding her resignation, citing various issues including farmer and Dalit crisis.
Anandiben Patel represents the Ghatlodia constituency since 1987.
More details are awaited.
