Gujarat BJP caps age limit for holding posts in youth wing at 35

Gujarat BJP has capped the age limit at 35 years for holding a position in its youth wing, Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM). With the imposition of the rule, three office bearers of the party’s youth wing in Rajkot city and Navsari district, who are aged above 35, have willingly tendered their resignations from the posts.

The decision, coming a year ahead of the state Assembly elections, was taken to ensure that those above 18 years of age “get aligned with the BJP’s nationalist ideology”, party leaders said.

The development comes months after the party introduced a rule during the elections of local bodies earlier this year under which a party worker above 60 years’ age was not qualified to get a party ticket in the elections.

Under the leadership of Gujarat BJP President C R Paatil, newly appointed president of the youth wing Prashant Korat, has started appointing office bearers for the youth wing’s units in different districts and mega cities. The appointments have been made to around 35 of the party’s 41 youth wing units in districts and mega cities.

Korat said, “It has been decided by Gujarat BJP President C R Paatil to give main responsibility to people below 35. Therefore, it has been decided that president and general secretary (of the district and city units of the wing) must be below 35 years’ age…”

Among reasons for the decision on upper age limit of 35, Korat said that it has been taken to ensure that youths above 18 years’ age get aligned with the BJP’s nationalist ideology and to achieve Paatil’s goal of winning all 182 seats in the 2022 Assembly elections.

Paatil has been giving the target of winning all 182 seats in the Gujarat assembly to the party workers in the general elections due next year.

Korat also referred to the party decision of setting upper age limit of 60 for BJP workers to get party ticket to contest local body polls earlier this year. “In those elections, the BJP got historic victory and more than 91% of BJP candidates won from district panchayats, taluka panchayats, municipalities and municipal corporations. With that, party’s vote share has been more than 74%.”

When asked the reason behind the age limit rule for the youth wing, Paatil said, “The rule is there for the entire country from the central (party authorities). We are implementing it here strictly. I am not concerned if others (BJP state units) are implementing it or not.”

Following the decision to implement the upper age limit to hold an office in the youth wing, three office bearers – two in Rajkot city unit and one in Navsari district unit – were found to be above 35 years’ age. The three have reportedly resigned from the posts willingly.

One of them is Pruthvisinh Vala, who was appointed president of Rajkot city unit of the party’s youth wing in May. “I resigned from the post yesterday owing to the age limit after getting instructions from the Rajkot city BJP (authorities).”

Vala, who is above 36, was appointed to the post in the youth wing in May-end. He said, “I have willingly resigned from the post as per the age rule. And I have no resentment at all.”

Korat said that these three appointments were made mistakenly and have been rectified with their resignations. He added that the three will be given other important responsibilities in the party.