Karnataka, Gujarat after Uttarakhand: Four CMs changed in six months

New Delhi, Dt

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani's sudden resignation on Saturday has sent shockwaves through political circles. Vijay Rupani is the fourth Gujarat Chief Minister to leave the post after BJP-ruled Karnataka and Uttarakhand in the last six months.

Vijay Rupani has resigned a year before the Gujarat Assembly elections. This election could be a battle of prestige for the BJP, as the BJP narrowly won the last assembly elections in Gujarat. In July this year, B.S. Yeddyurappa resigned. In Uttarakhand, Tirath Singh Rawat resigned just four months after taking over from Trivendra Rawat. In this order, Vijay Rupani has now resigned in Gujarat.

In Karnataka, Yeddyurappa and his son had to resign due to public and party resentment. A section of the party's state unit worked tirelessly to remove him. Similarly, in Uttarakhand, the BJP was forced to replace Trivendra Rawat after heavy internal opposition. The short tenure of his successor Tirath Rawat was full of controversy. The BJP leaders in Uttarakhand had complained to the Delhi leadership about public anger over some of their advertisements.

According to sources, during the second wave of Korona epidemic in Gujarat, Prime Minister Modi was angry with Vijay Rupani for the state government's mismanagement of Korona. In addition, Vijay Rupani was asked to resign as he did not fit into the BJP's strategy for victory in the forthcoming Assembly elections. Besides, a change in leadership could be the BJP's new strategy to win the elections, sources said.