Anandiben Patel completes one month as Gujarat Chief Minister

Ahmedabad, 22 June, 2014

Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel today completed her one month in office. The state information department has issued a release on this occasion which mentions following things worth admiring during her one month as CM.

-Thousands of visitors visited her in office on first day, but she spent three hours for Swagat Online programme to solve pending complains of people.

-She held phase wise meetings with district collectors, DDOs and police officers.

-Being a daughter of farmer, she shared her new ideas with farmers during Krushi Mahotsav at four region-wise public meetings in Saurashtra, north Gujarat, central and south Gujarat. She declared year 2014-15 as Agriculture Development year with special emphasize on women farmers.

-She started a new practice of welcome in various government events through fruits, vegetables, dry fruit and other nutritious food items which can be later given to primary schools and kindergarten for benefit of children. On her suggestion she is now welcomed through garland of 15 kg ground nut at some place and tins of cooking oil, baskets of fruits, gunny bags of potatoes at some other places.

-On an average daily 250 visitors arrive at Chief Minister’s office to greet her.

-Dignitaries and envoys from Australia, Canada, Switzerland visited the Chief Minister. They were greeted with courtesy.

-Chief Minister visited Swami Sachidanandji at Koba ashram and also opened Shri Rameshbhai Oza’s Devka Vidyapith hostel and sought blessings.

-Chief Minister visited Delhi to meet Prime Minister and also met new ministers to brief them the pending issues of Gujarat with centre. she held meetings for solution of Gujarat’s problems.

-As soon as permission to install gates over Narmada dam was granted, Chief Minister rushed to the site and kicked off construction work without any delay.

-Chief Minister meets various office bearers, MLAs, Presidents of local body and higher officials during her tour and provides guidance for solution of people’s problems. Her office continuously takes care of monitoring and follow-up.

-She visited schools during annual school enrollment drive and distributed health kits.

Author’s note:

Some points missed:

-The state government sent Relief Commissioner to scarcity affected areas of Kutch and declared 97 more villages as partial scarcity-hit. During entire summer, the problem of drinking water supply has been well addressed.

-The Chief Minister has taken initiative from herself and reduced the size of her convoy and her personal security. Once she was considered arrogant, but after becoming CM she has permitted scores of visitors to her office. She is approachable for media and lower rank of party workers and government staff at public occasion. She has accepted almost every proposal of interview.

-She visited Gujarat RSS headquarters in Ahmedabad and also attended RSS meet at Himmatnagar.

-She has so far behaved cordially with party colleagues, ministers and MLAs.

-She has been so far seen as a hard worker. She has clarity on basic issues. Her experience helps her. Chief Minister’s team including top bureaucrats Modi has left in Gandhinagar and ministers who have been worked with Modi for years is at Anandiben’s help. Some ministers are so efficient that Anandiben hardly has to worry about functioning of their departments.

On the other hand:

-Housing board draw goof up has slightly tarnished the image of state government.

-Though she says it in her every interview that one should not compare her with previous Chief Minister, people keep comparing her with Modi and it’s just not stopping. After Housing Board draw issue, a group of people was sighted in Ahmedabad shouting slogans ‘Narendrabhai pachhaa aavo(Narendrabhai come back)

-It is BJP that has developed habit of presidential verdict in elections. So in last assembly elections people of Gujarat elected Narendrabhai as Chief Minister. Now just after less than two years, Narendrabhai left Gujarat and handed over the throne to someone who has not been a Chief Ministerial candidate at the time of election, or after that. Thus people feel Anandiben is not someone elected by them as Chief Minister. She has been made Chief Minister by the party or by Narendrabhai and other party leaders. People have so far no complain against Anandiben as Chief Minister but whether they trust her fully or not, remains a question. Anandiben has to win trust of people through her performance. People believe she should be given some time to prove herself. In the meantime, Anandiben doesn’t afford any mistake.

-If monsoon remains weak as expected, Anandiben will face tough time throughout the next one year. Unlike Narendrabhai she has no privilege of passing the blame to centre. BJP government is there from Municipality to South Block and North Block in Delhi. Congress has totally favorable time as an opposition.

-In absence of Narendrabhai in Gandhinagar, district and city level BJP leaders have started testing their wings. So far they were in control due to Narendrabhai. Yes, Narendrabhai is there a few hundred miles away only but he can’t afford to spare time for district level affairs of Gujarat. While Narendrabhai was in full control of party and organization, Anandiben has been active in government most of the time. Yes, there are good bridges between government and organization, and Anandiben may rely on that arrangement, but Modi didn’t need it. And oh we again compared Modi with Anandiben! Injustice as she complains.

-In politics, you are continuously under test. By-polls of nine seats, elections of district panchayats, gram panchayats, municipal corporations and municipalities are going to take place. Expectation will be high. Even slightest improvement, and Congress will be in jubilant mood.

-Again comparison, we are helpless, but this point has to be made. Narendrabhai had no dikra, dikri, jamai. Anandiben has it all and they have been in news for wrong reasons in the past. They are watched by people.

-Anandiben it seems has not set up her personal efficient team that we saw in the time of Narendra Modi(again comparison, can’t help). Yes, we are mainly talking about communication, and some special ears to ground.

-We don’t expect it but in troubled times, steel of Anandiben will be tested.