Gujarat chief minister-designate Vijay Rupani on Saturday met governor O.P.
Gujarat chief minister-designate Vijay Rupani on Saturday met governor O.P. Kohli and staked claim to form the government, a day after he was elected by the BJP legislators to succeed Anandiben Patel. In Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state, the ruling BJP is grappling with dalit unrest and Patel quota stir ahead of the high-stake Assembly elections scheduled next year. Mr Rupani and deputy CM-designate Nitin Patel will be sworn-in on Sunday. BJP national president Amit Shah will be present at the swearing-in ceremony.
Anandiben Patel had resigned earlier this week, citing the undeclared age bar in the party. She turns 75 this November. However, speculation had been rife since last year that she could be replaced as her government had failed to contain Patel agitation and later the dalit unrest. The BJP had also suffered losses in the civic polls last year.
Amit Shah also held a meeting with state leaders at the BJP headquarters to decide Mr Rupani’s successor. Mr Rupani has resigned from the post of party’s state unit chief. Sources say, the BJP could appoint an OBC or a dalit as Mr Rupani’s successor, to send a message to the community, which has been agitating after the recent incident of atrocity against the community members in Una.
Earlier, after the meeting with the governor, BJP state in-charge Dinesh Sharma said Mr Rupani will take oath on Sunday at 12.40 pm. Meanwhile, outgoing chief minister Ms Patel vacated the chief minister’s residence at Gandhinagar. Interestingly, Ms Patel was conspicuous by her absence when BJP leaders, including Mr Rupani and Mr Patel, had gone to meet the governor.
Evading a direct reply to the question on Ms Patel’s absence, Mr Sharma said “She was present when she resigned. Today those who have been chosen are present.”
BJP central leadership on Friday decided to chose Mr Rupani, considered as Amit Shah’s loyalist, to succeed Ms Anandiben Patel instead of Mr Nitin Patel, who was the front-runner till the last moment. As a compromise formula, Mr Patel was elevated to be deputy CM after intervention of the central leadership, including Mr Modi.
