New Delhi: Bhupendra Patel has been elected as the new leader of BJP Legislative Party, Union Minister and BJP leader Narendra Singh Tomar announced after Bharatiya Janata Party’s Legislative Party meeting on Sunday.
Talking about his successor, Vijay Rupani who resigned from the top post on Saturday, said: "Bhupendra Patel is capable. We believe BJP will win the upcoming elections in the state under his leadership", ANI reported.
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Bhupendra Patel is the BJP MLA from the Ghatlodiya assembly seat and also an ex-chairman of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s Standing Committee.
Associated with the Rashtriya Sawayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for a long, Patel is also said to have a good hold in the state’s Patel community.
Speaking at a press conference, the first-time MLA who has been now chosen as state Chief Minister thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and party president JP Nadda for the opportunity.
"The faith that party showed me, I will not let it break. I will take forward the incomplete development work in the state. We will move forward by keeping the organisation along," he said, as quoted by ANI.
Earlier in the day, BJP sent two Union ministers Pralhad Joshi and Narendra Singh Tomar to Gujarat as the party's central observers to the meeting of the state legislature.
Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani, BJP Gujarat president CR Patil, BJP leader Nitin Patel were among the prominent leaders who arrived at the party office in Gandhinagar for the legislative party meeting.
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Vijay Rupani's Resignation
Gujarat is undergoing an unexpected political development as Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Saturday submitted his resignation to Governor Acharya Devvrat at Raj Bhavan. After submitting his resignation, Rupani told reporters that he is thankful to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership who gave him an opportunity to serve as CM of the state.
With his resignation, Rupani is the fourth Chief Minister in a BJP ruled state to be replaced in the last six months. Earlier, Trivendra Singh Rawat and Tirath Singh Rawat in Uttarakhand and BS Yediyurappa in Karnataka were replaced from the CM posts.
Many names were doing rounds for the new Chief Minister of Gujarat.
The BJP leaders who were rumoured to be in the race to become the next Gujarat Chief Minister included newly-appointed Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Rajya Sabha MP Parshottam Rupala, Gujarat Deputy CM Nitin Ratilal Patel, and Gujarat BJP Chief Chandrakant Raghunath Patil.
Gujarat CM-Elect Meets Governor Acharya Devvrat
Meanwhile, Gujarat CM-elect Bhupendra Patel met Governor Acharya Devvrat at Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar and staked claim to form the next government in the state.
He was accompanied by the central and state leaders, including Rupani, observers sent by the central BJP, Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Prahlad Joshi, state BJP in-charge Bhupendra Yadav, state BJP president C R Patil, among others, PTI reported.
Bhupendra Patel's swearing-in ceremony will take place on Monday at 2:20 pm, Governor Acharya Devvrat informed in a tweet.
"No one else will take the oath with him as the name of Deputy Chief Minister is not decided yet," said Bhupendra Patel, as quoted by ANI.