AHMEDABAD: Senior Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela today alleged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah has done a "political encounter" of Anandiben Patel, as she was "compelled" to step down as Gujarat Chief Minister.
Talking to reporters in Gandhinagar today, Vaghela also termed both Modi and Shah as "encounter specialists".
"Gujarat's former CM and current PM of our country, along with former Gujarat Home Minister and current national president of BJP are known as encounter specialists. Both of them came together and did the political encounter of Gujarat's first woman CM," Vaghela alleged.
"Both of them talked about women empowerment when Patel was made CM. Now, they forgot everything and asked Anandiben Patel to resign. BJP's internal politics and groupism are responsible for her unceremonious exit. She was compelled to give her resignation," the Leader of Opposition in Gujarat Assembly said.
Taking a dig at BJP's 'Congress-mukt Bharat' campaign, Vaghela claimed that BJP is on its way to be "satta-mukt" (out of power) in Gujarat after the 2017 Assembly polls.
"BJP's reputation and image has touched a new low in Gujarat. Just like Patel is on her way to be free from the burden of CM's responsibility, I am confident that BJP in Gujarat will be out of power after the 2017 Assembly polls," Vaghela added.
On a lighter note, Vaghela also said BJP should appoint former HRD minister Smriti Irani as the next CM, as she became popular among Gujaratis for her role in popular TV soap "Kyuki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi".
Yesterday, Anandiben took to Facebook to request the party leadership to relieve her of the responsibility of heading the state. Patel, who will turn 75 on November 21, said the BJP needed a fresh face in the state before the elections due next year.
An unwritten age bar of 75 has been set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the BJP leaders to hold positions in state and central governments. A minister in the BJP government since 1998, Patel had succeeded Modi as chief minister on May 22, 2014.
Assembly elections are due to be held towards the end of 2017.