BJP central leadership has cracked the whip in yet another state, with Vijay Rupani becoming the latest chief minister to be shown the exit door in recent months after changes in Assam, Uttarakhand, and Karnataka.
Rupani steps down ahead of the Assembly elections in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state, scheduled for early next year.
His resignation closely follows that of BS Yediyurappa in Karnataka, Sarbananda Sonowal in Assam and the double exit in Uttarakhand of Tirath Singh Rawat and Trivendra Rawat.
July 2021: BS Yediyurappa Resigns as Karnataka CM
On 26 July, Yediyurappa resigned from his post after completing two years in office. There was resentment against him and his son, and a certain section of the party’s state unit had called for his removal.
His removal was also seen as imminent as the 78-year-old was well past the BJP’s 75-year retirement age limit. The BJP high command replaced him with Basavaraj Bommai as chief minister.
July 2021: Uttarakhand CM Tirath Singh Rawat Resigns
Tirath Singh Rawat had come to the fore after Trivendra Singh Rawat had submitted his resignation in March 2021.
Tirath Singh Rawat wasn’t a member of the Legislative Assembly, which is necessary to become the CM. His poor performance as CM and the rising COVID-19 cases in the months of April-May had worked against him.
He resigned in July 2021 after which Pushkar Singh Dhami was sworn in as the chief minister of the state.
May 2021: Himanta Biswa Sarma Replaces Sarbananda Sonowal as Assam CM
In May 2021, another CM, Sarbananda Sonowal in Assam, was replaced by Himanta Biswa Sarma after the BJP’s victory in the state elections. The decision had surprised many as Sonowal wasn’t an unpopular CM like Trivendra Singh Rawat of Uttarakhand.
Meanwhile, Sarma wanted to become the CM way back in 2014 when he was still in the Congress and was considered CM Tarun Gogoi’s right-hand man.
Sarma could also have split the party in the state if he wasn’t made CM. Sonowal, on the other hand, neither had the MLAs nor a media buzz around him. Sarma had also efficiently handled the COVID-19 crisis last year, and many considered him the real driving force of the government. Sarma was also more successful in appeasing the Hindutva lobby.
March 2021: Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat Resigns
The division over Trivendra Singh Rawat’s appointment had been going on since he took office in 2017. Many leaders within the party had objected to Rawat’s chief ministership and had complained of not being heard.
They were also opposed to Rawat’s style of working. Party MLAs had voiced their dismay in Delhi, after which Rawat himself was summoned to Delhi by the party high command.
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