The decision by the Gujarat BJP leadership to set the upper age limit for the selection of ward or mandal chiefs at 45 seems to have triggered a discomfort among those who have spent years serving the party, and won’t make the cut.
The post of ward chief in the city units or mandal pramukh for the rural unit figures at the third spot from the bottom of the BJP’s state organisational pyramid where booth workers are at the last spot, above them being the shakti kendras.
In Surat, which has 30 wards, over 240 BJP workers have applied with the state observers to be considered for the post. The names of the ward presidents are expected to be declared before December 20, said sources.
On Saturday, Kuldeep Solanki, BJP organisation secretary of Panchmahal, and former Ahmedabad MLA Rakesh Shah visited Surat to accept proposal forms from the aspirants. Surat BJP vice president Pankaj Desai and Ramesh Ukani, another Surat party leader, were said to have aided the observers.
There are seven different criteria for eligibility, as per people in the know. Apart from the age limit, candidates should have actively worked for the party for at least three years. They should have inducted around 50 primary members into the party from their ward area. They should also have held a post in the party district or city organisation for three years. The candidate should have basic information about the ward among other eligibility criteria.
A Surat BJP leader, pleading anonymity, says that many would no longer be able to eye such posts.
“Since childhood, we have devoted our time to the party; and now, we have been left out with the age limit set. We have spent over 30 years in the party while taking care of the financial needs and responsibility of the family. We have not got any position in the party but we have dedicatedly worked for the party in ward. It seems like our rights have been taken away,” he says.
Earlier, the party selected ward presidents after collecting names from the local BJP MLA, municipal corporator and also took the consent of Surat city BJP president, said a source.
A senior BJP leader from Saurashtra says, “There is no provision of age restriction for mandals in the constitution of BJP. This is not an ideal situation. It has been introduced very hastily and arbitrarily. Naturally, because of this rule, those who are being deprived of holding the post, they will not be happy.”
“There are many party leaders who have passed the age of 45, and have been appointed as general secretary or secretary at the mandal level after working for the party for years. But now, with this new rule, they will not be eligible for the post of Mandal president and will have to work under a junior. That will definitely lead to dissatisfaction as no one would like to work under a person who is a junior whom they might have introduced to the party,” the leader adds.
He further shares, “It is difficult to convey the message to the organisation as I have heard that they are very firm on implementing this decision.”
A senior party leader from Gandhinagar worries about possibilities of “incompetent people” making it to the post because of the age criteria.
Party leaders are also said to be complaining about how it could disturb the pecking order in the highly cadre-based BJP. “In the event of selection of a mandal pramukh who is below 45, there is a strong possibility that he/she might have to lead people who are much senior to him/her in the team. It is possible that it will make the day-to-day functioning of the Mandal difficult,” the party leader adds.
A leader from Vadodara district says the “generation gap” being wide, the party seems to be “giving a tacit message to the older generation that bigger posts are meant for the younger blood. There are a lot of instances where older leaders have been ignored and not taken into confidence by younger leaders taking the decisions and this system will only reinforce that and further push the experienced veterans to the sidelines…”
A leader from the party’s district unit in Anand underlines that the decision will have more impact on leaders in rural areas as cities offer bigger opportunities. “More than the seniors, the people who will be impacted by the decision are aspirants who will turn 45 in the next three or four years as the current units will not be dissolved before that. While cities have larger party units, in the district units, there might be some resentment even from the senior leaders,” he opines.
However, a 38-year-old applicant for the Ahmedabad city ward president’s post tells The Indian Express that he is elated at the party’s decision. “All of us have worked for the party in different capacities and we tick all the qualification requirements set by the party”, he asserts, adding that he did not sense any “discontent” among seniors in his ward.
“I think it is a challenge that our party high command has posed to the young workers on how to lead everyone in the team, even the ones much senior to you in age. I believe this is the vision of our top two leaders – Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah – to give responsibilities to young workers and to nurture them through challenges,” the young party functionary shares.
Meanwhile, Vadodara city unit chief Dr Vijay Shah has insisted that the decision is for “the better future” of the party. While speaking to The Indian Express, he asserts, “But the fact is that with more than 50% voters from the younger age group, having ward level leaders of the same age group is a good decision.”
“The party chooses ward pramukhs, as well as other office bearers, from among the members, who have been active members for at least three years. Within the party, one should first be a primary member for at least six years to become an active member. The unit president’s age is 60 years. However, for all other posts of General Secretaries and Secretaries, there is no age limit,” Shah says.
In 19 wards of Vadodara city, Shah adds, three wards have presidents under 45 while 16 wards have presidents above 45. “Most senior party members might have already had one chance at being on a higher post within local units…” he says.
The Indian Express tried contacting Gujarat BJP chief CR Paatil but he was not available for a comment on the matter.
(With inputs from Parimal Dabhi in Gandhinagar and Aditi Raja in Vadodara)
