Keshubhai Patel
| Keshubhai Patel | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 10th Chief Minister of Gujarat | |
| In office 14 March 1995 – 21 October 1995 | |
| Preceded by | Chhabildas Mehta |
| Succeeded by | Suresh Mehta |
| Constituency | Maninagar |
| In office 4 March 1998 – 6 October 2001 | |
| Preceded by | Dilip Parikh |
| Succeeded by | Narendra Modi |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 July 1928 Visavadar |
| Political party | Bharatiya Janata Party (1980–2012) Gujarat Parivartan Party (2012 – present) |
| Spouse(s) | Leela Patel |
| Children | Five sons, one daughter |
| Religion | Hindu |
| As of 23 December, 2013 | |
Keshubhai Patel (born 24 July 1928) is an Indian politician and the former Chief Minister of Gujarat state of India in 1995 and 1998-2001. He has been member of Gujarat legislative assembly six times. He was a member of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from 1980s. He subsequently left BJP in 2012 and formed Gujarat Parivartan Party. He was elected from Visavadar in 2012 assembly election.
Early life
Keshubhai Savdas Patel was born in 1928 in Visavadar town of Junagadh district, Gujarat, India. He joined Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in 1945 as a pracharak. He was imprisoned during the emergency.[1]
Political career
He started his political career as a worker for Jan Sangh in 1960s. He was a founding member of it. In 1975 the Jan Sangh-Congress(O) coalition came to power in Gujarat.[2] After the emergency, he was elected to Lok Sabha from Rajkot constituency in 1977. Later he resigned and joined Babubhai Patel's Janata Morcha government in Gujarat as an agriculture minister in 1978 to 1980. He was then involved in relief work following 1979 Machchhu dam failure which devastated Morbi.[2][3] He won assembly elections from Kalavad, Gondal and Visavadar between 1978 and 1995.[1] In 1980, when Jan Sangh was dissolved and he became senior organizer of newly formed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He organized the election campaign against Indian National Congress (INC) and led BJP to win in 1995 assembly election. He became the Chief Minister of Gujarat in March but resigned eight months later as his colleague Shankersinh Vaghela revolted against him. BJP was split as Rashtriya Janata Party was formed by Vaghela who became the Chief Minister by support of INC. Assembly was dissolved in 1998 as INC withdrew its support. BJP returned to power led by Patel in 1998 assembly elections and he became the chief minister again.[1]
Patel resigned as Chief Minister of Gujarat on 2 October 2001 due to his failing health. Allegations of abuse of power, corruption and poor administration; as well as a loss of BJP seats in by-elections and mismanagement of relief woks during 2001 Bhuj Earthquake aftermath; prompted the BJP's national leadership to seek a new candidate for the office of chief minister. He was replaced by Narendra Modi.[4][5][6] Patel did not fight 2002 assembly election. He was elected to Rajya Sabha unopposed in 2002.[7]
In the 2007 assembly elections, he urged his community to vote for change. He blessed the Indian National Congress and did not even cast his vote. BJP again won in election with clear majority and formed government led by Modi.[7]
He did not renew his BJP membership and[8] resigned from the BJP on 4 August 2012 and launched the Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP) to contest in Gujarat legislative assembly election, 2012.[9] He won from Visavadar constituency against Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Kanubhai Bhalala while his party won two seats including his own.[10]
Personal life
He married to Leela Patel and has five sons and a daughter.[2] His son, Bharat Patel is a member of BJP.[2][10] His wife died in their home in Gandhinagar after an electrical fire broke out in the exercise room on 21 September 2006.[11]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Bapa Keshubhai Patel remains man of the masses". DNA. 5 August 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Dave, Hiral (9 August 2012). "6 decades on, Keshubhai back to familiar building role". The Indian Express. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
- ↑ http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-08-09/vadodara/33117790_1_dam-disaster-utpal-sandesara-agriculture-minister
- ↑ Aditi Phadnis (2009). Business Standard Political Profiles of Cabals and Kings. Business Standard Books. pp. 116–21. ISBN 978-81-905735-4-2. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
- ↑ Bunsha, Dionne (13 October 2001). "A new oarsman". Frontline (Ahmedabad). Retrieved 9 May 2013.
- ↑ Venkatesan, V. (13 October 2001). "A pracharak as Chief Minister". Frontline (New Delhi). Retrieved 9 May 2013.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Jana Krishamurthy, Keshubhai Patel, Deora elected to RS". News (New Delhi). 18 March 2002. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
- ↑ "Keshubhai splits BJP, to launch anti-Modi front". 30 June 2012.
- ↑ "Modi-baiter Keshubhai Patel quits BJP". 4 August 2012.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Keshubhai's son Bharat joins BJP". The Indian Express. 23 December 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
- ↑ "Keshubhai's wife charred in gym fire". Times of India (Gandhinagar). 22 September 2006. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
External links
| Preceded by Chhabildas Mehta |
Chief Minister of Gujarat 14 March 1995 – 21 October 1995 |
Succeeded by Sureshchandra R. Mehta |
| Preceded by Dilipbhai Ramanbhai Parikh |
Chief Minister of Gujarat 4 March 1998 – 6 October 2001 |
Succeeded by Narendra Modi |
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