New Delhi: Former Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel, who had cited the BJP’s unofficial age bar of 75 years to “voluntarily” quit the post last year, has cited the same reason in a letter to party president Amit Shah expressing unwillingness to contest the coming Assembly elections.
Incidentally, Ms Patel, who succeeded Mr Modi after he became prime minister, belongs to the powerful Patidar community. Though she cited the age bar for her resignation last year, there were corruption and nepotism allegations against her and rumours that she had lost her grip over the state adminsitration.
Her resignation had also led to factionalism rumours in the state unit, as it is said she doesn’t have a good rapport with Mr Shah.
Ms Patel’s letter to Mr Shah also comes in the wake of reports that her supporters and constituency workers want the party leadership to renominate her.
In her letter, the former CM mentioned she had cited the 75-year age bar when she quit the CM's post and in “connection (with) same policy”, she doesn’t want to contest the 2017 Assembly polls.
Ms Patel has represented the Ghatlodia Assembly seat since 1998. She requested the party to field a local party worker and promised that whatever election-related responsibility was assigned to her, she would “give justice to it with all my efforts... I will continue to work for the party till the end of my life”.
