The BJP on Friday choose its Gujarat unit chief Vijay Rupani as the State’s next Chief Minister. Health Minister Nitin Patel will be his deputy chief minister.

Outgoing chief minister Anandiben Patel, who offered to resign four days ago, proposed Rupani’s name in the meet attended by all 121 state BJP legislators.

Senior leader  Nitin Gadkari announced the appointments after a meeting of party MLAs in Gandhinagar led by BJP president Amit Shah.

The oath taking ceremony will take place on Sunday, 7 August, 2016.

Vijay Rupani is the state president of the BJP and was the minister for transport, water supply, labor and employment in Anandiben’s cabinet. He was elected an MLA for the first time in 2014, winning the Rajkot West seat vacated by Vajubhai Vala, who went on to become Karnataka Governor.

Mr. Rupani began his political innings as a student activist attached to ABVP, the student wing of the RSS. He naturally moved to RSS and then to the BJP. He was jailed during the Emergency.

Rupani’s deputy, Patel, is an influential leader from northern Gujarat, the epicentre of the Patidar protests.

Patel had been receiving a lot of criticism for so many problems in Gujrat.

The BJP hopes that Rupani, who is from a non-dominant caste, will be able to manage caste equations in the politically crucial state.

This Jain leader Mr. Rupani enjoys close relationship with both Mr. Modi and Amit Shah.

(Prepared from media sources by Seema Kumari)

  Gujarat