In a surprise move by the top BJP legislators, Vijay Rupani was on Friday (August 5) chosen as the new Chief Minister of to succeed Anandiben Patel, who resigned on Wednesday (August 3). Although it was widely speculated that Nitin Patel would be the party’s choice for the post, Rupani has finally been named as the new Chief minister at the
legislature party meeting attended by BJP chief Amit Shah and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.
After the meeting Gadkari announced that Rupani would be the new Chief Minister of Gujarat.
Rupani would be tasked with leading the party in the assembly polls due next year, overcoming the multiple
challenges faced by it in the home state of prime minister Narendra Modi.
Anandiben Patel announced her decision to resign through a Facebook post last week, saying she thought it fit to step
down since as she will turn 75 this November, the age cap set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the central and the state
ministries.
BJP president Amit Shah has since Thursday (August 4) held deliberations with party leaders to finalise the candidate.
BJP's parliamentary board accepted Anandiben Patel's offer to resign on Monday at its meeting in Delhi, setting in motion the process of choosing the new Chief Minister.
The BJP, in power in Gujarat for long, has been facing grim challenges like Patel quota stir and Dalit unrest in the
wake of widely condemned dalit flogging incident in Una apart from reversals in rural areas in civic polls, which together
seem to have dented its image and support base,prompting Aanandiben to quit.
