The bitter Beniwal-Modi relationship has a Congress - BJP rivalery angle as the Gujarat governor Dr Kamala Beniwal was earlier a senior Congress politician from Rajasthan, as such she is a perceived Congress hand in the Modi land, and that is the main tussle in the legal appointment of Gujarat Lokayukta.
Beniwal had appointed justice (Retd.) RA Mehta in August 2011 as Lokayukta bypassing the state government after his name was recommended by the Gujarat chief justice. This was unsuccessfully challenged by the Modi government first in the Gujarat high court and later in the Supreme Court.
However, justice RA Mehta refused to assume the charge accusing the Modi government of not respecting the sanctity of the Lokayukta and "casting aspersions on the integrity and impartiality of him."
Narendra Modi-led Gujarat government had proposed to repeal the old act and replace it with the new Gujarat Lokayukta Aayog Bill 2013 passed through majority in the state assembly in which it has seized the key powers of the governor of appointing the Lokayukta.
Gujarat governor Dr Kamala has returned the Gujarat Lokayukta Aayog Bill 2013 passed by the bill in March 2013 and suggested to reconsider several provisions of the proposed bill, including the new provision regarding the appointment of Lokayukta, apparently wanted to continue with the old provision and also suggested the government to reconsider the provision of including local bodies like municipalities, district and panchayats etc. under the purview of Lokayukta. The state government may resubmit the bill in the forthcoming assembly session starting from September 30.
Gujarat does not have a Lokayukta since 2004 as the Modi government effort to install a chosen judge on the post was not approved and later on Beniwal’s choice justice Mehta didn’t assume office.
The tussle between the Gujarat governor Dr Kamala Beniwal (former senior Congress politician from Rajasthan) and BJP's prime minister aspirant Narendra Modi and the present Gujrat chief minister is too much of a bad instance for "centre state relationship", "ambiguous or not specified powers of a Governor"; and vital importance of corruption less and good governance platforms in the election dominated people's and political mood of the nation.
New Janlokpal bill, autonomy to CBI, CVC,and Lokayukta are the centre stage focus point on which a leader like Modi must have clear ideology irrespective of what a state based Governor is proposing.
If Modi has central leadership in his ambit of thoughts he must now start thinking from national perspective or it may turn to be too big a race for his stature.