How Pradipsinh Vaghela’s sudden resignation bares rot in Gujarat BJP

Rumour mills churned fast over the weekend as news emerged of the resignation of Pradipsinh Vaghela, one of the general secretaries of the ruling BJP in Gujarat. The resignation was reportedly tendered over a week ago and turned out to be the proverbial tip of the iceberg, exposing factionalism within the disciplined BJP cadre, individual political ambitions stepping on powerful toes, corruption charges and party leaders conspiring against each other.

First about Vaghela and why his resignation matters. The 43-year-old leader was considered one of the brightest rising stars in the Gujarat BJP. Considered close to incumbent party president C.R. Paatil, Vaghela was appointed one of the four general secretaries in 2020—a post considered most powerful in the state unit after that of the president. Vaghela was also in charge of Ahmedabad city and the south zone of Gujarat, as well as the state party headquarters, Kamalam, in Koba, Gandhinagar. He was the most powerful and high profile among the four general secretaries and his name was also doing the rounds as the one to succeed Paatil, whose term as Gujarat BJP chief ended in July.

Animosity reached such a point last week that rumours of Vaghela not being allowed to enter Kamalam were doing the rounds, but party spokespersons clarified them to be incorrect. On the one hand, Vaghela said he resigned as he had been asked to step down and on the other, party general secretary Rajni Patel addressed the media and said Vaghela had stepped back due to personal reasons.

The backdrop of the resignation is two parallel incidents of infighting in BJP local units. In South Gujarat, four party workers were arrested last month for allegedly trying to defame Paatil and extort money from him. The accused had allegedly released a video and sent a note to Surat MLA Sandeep Desai that one of them, Jinendra Shah, had collected Rs 80 crore for the party fund but a promised share of the amount was not given to him. They were demanding the same from Paatil.

In another incident, a BJP corporator from Vadodara, Alpesh Limbachiya, and two of his associates were arrested last month over alleged defamatory activities against Vadodara mayor and corporator Nilesh Rathod. An eight-point letter from Limbachiya had alleged corruption by Rathod in local civic work contracts and his nexus with bootleggers and anti-social elements. The letter was sent to all elected representatives of the BJP in Vadodara, embarrassing the party and inviting a slew of disciplinary actions against those involved in what came to be known as the ‘pamphlet scam’. In April, the BJP had removed another general secretary, Bhargav Bhatt, in charge of the central zone that includes Vadodara, without much explanation—the post remains vacant.

But the closest home are two allegations—one of corruption in awarding of contracts in Gujarat University and another of making money off a massive land parcel sold to the government for industrial allotment on the outskirts of Sanand, the hometown of Pradipsinh Vaghela. According to sources in the know, Vaghela’s name figures in both cases, which are being investigated by the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Gujarat police. Former Gujarat University vice-chancellor Himanshu Pandya and Vaghela have been questioned in the alleged corruption case. Besides, complaints of Vaghela’s alleged highhanded behaviour with government officials and interference in government work had piled up. It is suspected that Vaghela was rattling out names of senior party officials in the scams to save his own.

Critics say these developments in the BJP Gujarat unit reveal a rot brewing and that uninterrupted power for the past three decades and a meek Opposition presence have given way to an unchecked bull-run of ambitions. This is further amplified by the never-ending induction of Congress leaders and workers into the rank and file of the cadre-based party, fuelling acrimony driven by old rivalries.

Very often, the BJP in Gujarat is equated to a house of cards, especially after its two most powerful leaders ascended to the national stage, leaving behind powerful leaders but perhaps none to keep them in check. Friction between the factions of Anandiben Patel and Amit Shah, Vijay Rupani and Nitin Patel, Rupani and Paatil continue. These are only some of the more high-profile names. As the recent incidents show, the rot runs much deeper in every region. With general elections less than a year away, these developments do not augur well for a party that lords over all 26 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

Subscribe to India Today Magazine