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Gujarat, long seen as the Bharatiya Janata Party’s strongest political fortress, is experiencing an unusual wave of internal unrest. This monsoon season, public anger and dissatisfaction have spilled over onto streets and public forums—not led by the opposition, but from within the BJP’s own ranks. The flashpoint: growing conflict between elected representatives and the bureaucracy.
Over the past month, several BJP MLAs and ministers have publicly stated that government officials do not cooperate, do not receive their calls, and stall development files for months. Multiple legislators say they are unable to fulfil promises made to the people because their instructions are ignored by district and taluka-level officers.
MLAs Say Officials Do Not Listen
In a telephonic survey conducted recently by Divya Bhaskar newspaper, 101 BJP MLAs responded, and every fifth MLA admitted that bureaucratic high-handedness is obstructing work. Many said that only when matters are escalated to Gandhinagar do files move forward, leaving local representatives frustrated and accountable to angry constituents.
A senior MLA from Central Gujarat bluntly said:
“We are forced to repeatedly beg for small works. Unless we push files to Gandhinagar, nothing moves.”
This sentiment was echoed across regions:
- Hardik Patel, BJP MLA from Viramgam, has threatened protest if pending drainage and power-line projects do not begin. He complained that even seven months after a foundation-stone ceremony by the Chief Minister, “not even 1% work has started.”- Prakash Varmora, Halvad-Dhrangadhra MLA, was confronted by locals demanding restoration of suspended bus services.- Arvind Ladani, Manavadar MLA, staged a sit-in at a police station, alleging that police protect gambling dens while targeting small people.- Kumar Kanani, Varachha MLA in Surat, has repeatedly slammed officials over potholes and traffic chaos, saying police are more focused on fines than fixing roads.
-Growing Public Backlash
Videos have gone viral in which residents challenged MLAs, saying:
“You come only during elections with promises. No work is happening. Next time we will show you.”
This open confrontation between public and leaders is rare for Gujarat, a state where the BJP holds 162 seats in the 182-member Assembly.
2023 Circular
In August 2023, the state government issued a circular through the General Administration Department (GAD) Gujarat which mandated that all government officials should:
- Save telephone numbers of elected representatives (MPs, MLAs, district/taluka panchayat heads, mayors and civic-body chiefs). - If an elected representative called the official landline during office hours and the officer was unavailable (in meeting or out), the call must be returned immediately when the official returns. - Personal assistants/secretaries of officials must note the calls from elected representatives and bring them to the officer’s notice. - Departments, boards, corporations and municipalities were ordered to “firmly and correctly comply” and pass the instructions down to all heads of departments under their authority.
Despite this directive, BJP MLAs now say that in practice “nothing has changed”—officers remain unresponsive, files continue to stall and the circulation of blame between MLAs and bureaucracy continues unabated.
Is It Time for Gujarat to Consider a Maharashtra-Style Protocol?
Maharashtra has already issued a government resolution (GR) instructing officers to stand and greet MPs/MLAs, use polite language, and ensure prompt responses. The question now arises: should Gujarat adopt a similar standing protocol to improve responsiveness and reduce public frustration?
Why The Demand is Growing
- MLAs say they are held responsible by the public but have no authority over officers.- Anti-corruption investigations into senior officials remain stalled—permission was given for only 4 out of 52 inquiries in one recent case.- Public anger is rising due to stalled infrastructure works and poor service delivery, especially in Central Gujarat and Saurashtra.
Political Implications
With rising dissatisfaction across Central Gujarat, Saurashtra-Kutch, and South Gujarat, the fear is that internal cracks could weaken the BJP’s strongest bastion ahead of critical elections.The question facing the party leadership in Gandhinagar: will the party rein in an increasingly defiant bureaucracy or will the frustration of its own MLAs turn into an electoral liability?
If bureaucrats are not accountable to elected representatives, then who are they accountable to? — asked one BJP MLA privately.
For a state proud of its governance model, the answer may be decisive.
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