It is quite apparent that her age is being cited as an excuse. Anandi Ben Patel’s exit was decided during the Patidar agitation which she failed to handle deftly. Her tenure as the CM was proving to be costly for the BJP. However a decision is yet to be taken on who would replace her. The recent assault on the Dalits in Una which snowballed into a major controversy, left the BJP with no other option but to remove her. Interms of efficiency, Vijay Rupani could make his mark as the CM but Nitin Patel who belongs to the Patidar community could emerge as the front runner since the powerful Patidar community which is upset with the BJP has always had a major role to play in the politics of Gujarat.