Gujarat CM Anandiben Patel able, experienced
Ms Anandiben Patel's appointment as the Chief Minister of Gujarat, following the resignation of Mr Narendra Modi from that post, marks a change with continuity in the true sense. A long-time aide and confidante of her predecessor, Ms Patel is expected to follow the Modi template in administration as well as policy matters. As the chairperson of the group of Ministers that had been managing the affairs of the State in the absence of Mr Modi, she has had ample time to warm up for the top post and can be expected to hit the ground running. Much like her former boss, she values efficiency and probity in public life, is known to run a tight ship, and has a reputation for being a hard taskmaster. Equally importantly, the septuagenarian has a proven track record of good governance that goes back three decades to the time of Mr Keshubhai Patel. One of the longest serving leaders of the Gujarat Government, Ms Patel held the important portfolios of Revenue, Disaster Management, Roads & Buildings Capital Project, as well as Women and Child Welfare, while serving in the Modi Cabinet. She is credited for conducting large-scale land surveys and digitising land records as well as ensuring the speedy construction of sub-canals under the Narmada project, which she took over in 2008. Previously, she had also held the education portfolio. It was under her watchful eyes that Gujarat's school enrollment rates skyrocketed even as dropout rates fell significantly. She also streamlined the previously ad hoc system of transfers for school teachers, which went a long way in containing corruption and nepotism. These are just a handful of examples from the veteran's kitty of achievements, but they are enough to safely assume that under Ms Patel's leadership, the Government of Gujarat will continue to be development-driven, result-oriented and policy-driven.
That the new Chief Minister of Gujarat is also the first woman to lead the State adds the proverbial cherry on the cake. Ms Patel has, of course, not been elevated to the top job because she is a female — or for that matter, purely because she is a Modi loyalist. She is a compelling example of women's empowerment. She has competed as an equal and made it to the top of the league on the basis of her merit and performance, without any special treatment or favour. Now that she begins her tenure as Chief Minister, this is her opportunity to not just lead Gujarat on the path of progress and development but also imprint her individual signature on the State's history.