Bhupendra Patel being greeted by outgoing CM Vijay Rupani after the BJP legislature party meeting in Gandhinagar on Sunday (Express photo)A day after the exit of Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and his cabinet, Ghatlodia MLA Bhupendra Patel was picked to be the next CM of the state. He will take oath as CM on Monday afternoon.
The decision to pick Patel was taken at the BJP legislature party meeting in Gandhinagar on Sunday. His name was proposed by CM Vijay Rupani, whose resignation from the post on Saturday surprised many. Most of the 112 MLAs of the party in the 182-member Assembly were present at the meeting, BJP sources told PTI.
Anandiben Patel had represented the Ghatlodia constituency before she was appointed Governor.
Speaking to the media, Bhupendra Patel expressed gratitude towards PM Narendra Modi, BJP national president J P Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah while adding that the blessings of former Gujarat CM and Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel have always been with him. Patel added that he is going to Raj Bhavan at 6 pm today to stake claim to form government. He is going to take the oath of office and secrecy on Monday, and the council of ministers will be declared soon.
Patel had won the 2017 Gujarat Assembly polls from the Ghatlodia constituency, defeating Congress candidate Shashikant Patel by over one lakh votes. It was the highest winning margin in the 2017 Gujarat polls. He holds a diploma in civil engineering and is considered to be close to former CM Anandiben Patel, who had won from the seat in the 2012 polls. Patel, a first-time MLA, is a member of the Patidar community. He has also held the positions of president of Memnagar municipality in Ahmedabad, standing committee chairman of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority.
Rupani along with cabinet members and Governor Devvrat. (Photo: CMO)
Patidar leader Hardik Patel on Sunday said that Bhupendra Patel, who also belongs to his community, would be the BJP's last chief minister in Gujarat as the people of the state have decided to throw the saffron party out of power at least for the next 25 years.
In an open letter addressed to the CM-designate, Hardik Patel, who is Gujarat Congress's working president, asked what he can achieve in one year (as Assembly polls are scheduled next year) that the BJP could not in the last 25 years.
"BJP has given you this responsibility a few months before the elections to hide its failure, but what can you do in one year (Assembly election is due in Gujarat in December 2022) what your party could not do in 25 years for education, health, women, youth and farmers, for the most vulnerable sections of Gujarat?" he asked and said this is a question that the people of Gujarat have posed before him.
"The BJP has appointed in you its last chief minister, because the people of Gujarat have made up their mind to throw the anti-poor, anti-youth BJP out of power, at least for the next 25 years. Now time has come to change the entire government and not just the chief minister," Hardik added. (PTI)
Gujarat CM-designate Bhupendra Patel receives a grand welcome on his arrival at his office in Ghatlodia.
“It's like Diwali today. This was never expected…a complete surprise for our family, even we saw it on news,” says Bhupendra Patel's daughter-in-law Devanshi Patel.
Scores of supporters gather outside Gujarat CM-designate Bhupendra Patel's office in his constituency.
Bhupendra Patel to be sworn in as Gujarat CM at 2:20 pm on Monday, says Governor Acharya Devvrat.
Delhi MLA Raghav Chadha on Sunday claimed that the BJP was "forced" to change chief ministers in Uttarakhand and Gujarat after facing a challenge from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the two states.
The AAP national spokesperson also criticised the Congress while terming it an "ineffective, compromised and unsuccessful opposition".
"The AAP challenged the BJP by saying 'perform or perish', which forced the BJP to change its CMs in both the states. Such is the power of the AAP and Shri Arvind Kejriwal. I want to tell the people of the BJP that changing nameplates will not change the anger and resentment that the people of Uttarakhand and Gujarat have for you," Chadha said during a press conference here.
He added that a "convenient game of musical chairs" was being played by the BJP and the Congress in which they rule for five years each. "When one party is in power, the other helps from outside and upon a power switch, they return the favour. There is an understanding in these parties, which has resulted in Uttarakhand and Gujarat both, being devoid of a strong opposition and a strong government," he said. (PTI)
Soon after it was announced that Bhupendra Patel will be the successor of Vijay Rupani, young Patidar leader and Gujarat Congress working president Hardik Patel on Sunday said that the people of Gujarat won’t feel that they have a strong connection with the new chief minister as he has been “appointed by Delhi”.
Speaking to The Indian Express about the development, Hardik Patel said, “The letter of appointment for this CM has come from Delhi and the people of Gujarat know this. They wanted a chief minister who could connect to them and listen to their woes. I don’t think this CM will be successful as people will ultimately see him just as a BJP face.” Read more
Bhupendra Patel with Governor Acharya Devvrat
Bhupendra Patel (59), who will replace Vijay Rupani as CM, is fondly called 'Dada' by many. People close to him know Patel as a smiling face, who is well-connected to the grassroots.
Before contesting the Assembly election, he was active in local politics and became a member of Memnagar Municipality in Ahmedabad district, serving as its president twice.
Patel is also a trustee of Sardardham Vishwa Patidar Kendra, an organisation to dedicated to the socio-economic development of the Patidar community. (PTI)
Bhupendra Patel meets Governor Acharya Devvrat at Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar. Former CM Vijay Rupani and state BJP chief CR Patil are also present.
Congratulating Patel, several Union ministers stated that under the guidance of PM Modi, the Patidar leader will shape Gujarat’s development. Apart from Amit Shah, Union ministers Nitin Gadkari and Bhupendra Yadav, too, extended their wishes to Patel. Read more
Soon after it was decided that Bhupendra Patel, the first-time MLA from Ahmedabad’s Ghatlodia constituency, will be the next Gujarat Chief Minister following Vijay Rupani’s exit, state Congress on Sunday claimed that the government will now be “remote-controlled” by Anandiben Patel.
Anandiben Patel had stepped down as the Chief Minister in 2016, after which she was replaced by Vijay Rupani. Read more
Gujarat CM-elect Bhupendra Patel to take oath tomorrow, says state BJP chief CR Paatil. (ANI)
Speaking to the media, Bhupendra Patel expressed gratitude towards PM Narendra Modi, BJP national president J P Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah while adding that the blessings of former Gujarat CM and Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel have always been with him.
Patel added that he is going to Raj Bhavan at 6 pm today to stake claim to form government. He is going to take oath of office and secrecy on Monday, and the council of ministers will be declared soon.
Bhupendra Patel speaks to the media after being chosen as the next Gujarat CM
Union Home Minister Amit Shah congratulates Bhupendra Patel.
“We will be going to the Raj Bhavan at 6 pm. We will meet the Governor regarding the appointment of the new Gujarat CM,” says Union Minister & BJP leader Bhupender Yadav. (ANI)
“Bhupendra Patel is capable. We believe BJP will win the upcoming elections in the state under his leadership,” says outgoing CM Vijay Rupani. (ANI)
A day after Vijay Rupani tendered his resignation from the post of Gujarat Chief Minister — the third BJP CM to exit in two months — first-time MLA Bhupendra Patel was named his successor. But who is Bhupendra Patel? Read more here
Bhupendra Patel (55) was unanimously elected BJP legislature party leader on Sunday. His name was proposed by CM Vijay Rupani, whose resignation from the post on Saturday surprised many.
Most of the 112 MLAs of the party in the 182-member Assembly were present at the meeting, BJP sources said.
Patel won the 2017 Gujarat Legislative Assembly elections from Ghatlodia constituency, defeating Congress candidate Shashikant Patel by over one lakh votes, the highest winning margin in the 2017 Gujarat polls. He holds a diploma in civil engineering and is considered close to former CM Anandiben Patel, who won from the seat in 2012 polls.
BJP's central observers Narendra Singh Tomar and Prahlad Joshi and party general secretary Tarun Chaug were present at the legislature party meet.
Bhupendra Patel's name was not in the long list of probables being discussed in state political circles and in a way the first term MLA emerged as the dark horse, a political observer told PTI.
Bhupendra Patel, a first-time MLA, is a member of the Patidar community. He has also held the positions of president of Memnagar municipality in Ahmedabad, standing committee chairman of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority.
Scenes as Bhupendra Patel is chosen as the next CM
A day after the exit of Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and his cabinet, Ghatlodiya MLA Bhupendra Patel was picked to be the next CM of the state. The decision was taken at the BJP legislature party meeting in Gandhinagar on Sunday.
BJP legislature party meeting underway in Gandhinagar to elect the new Gujarat CM. (ANI)
Ahead of the Gujarat Legislature Party meeting on Sunday to elect Vijay Rupani's successor as chief minister, Deputy CM Nitin Patel said the leader "will have to be popular, strong, experienced, and the one who is known and acceptable to all".
Patel, whose name is doing the rounds for the top post in the state, told reporters in Gandhinagar that he will not speak about any individual's name at this stage and the BJP's central leadership will decide on the new chief minister.
Asked who is capable of being the new chief minister of Gujarat, Patel on Sunday said the leader "will have to be popular, strong, experienced, and the one who is known and acceptable to all".
"I am not here to express my personal opinion on the possible name. The exercise to elect the next chief minister is not just a work to fill in a vacancy. Gujarat should get a successful leadership so that the state can develop, keeping all together," the deputy CM told reporters outside his residence in Gandhinagar. (PTI)
Vijay Rupani has voluntarily resigned as the Chief Minister. He didn't take the decision under any pressure. The observers sent by party high command are taking the views of senior BJP leaders on who should be made the CM. The decision will be taken at the meeting today: Nitin Patel
Vijay Rupani may have been a soft-spoken chief minister, but political observers feel that it may have also contributed to his image of being a ‘weak’ CM, who allowed bureaucrats to overrule the political leadership in taking key decisions.
Some observers also point to the way he handled the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic and economic and social distress that followed it, even suggesting that it may have contributed to his downfall. During his second stint as the CM, Rupani (65) , who resigned from the post on Saturday over a year before the next Assembly polls are due, was instrumental in passing tough anti-conversion law against interfaith marriages, and another one against those involved in cow slaughter. (PTI)
BJP Gujarat Legislative party meet to be held at 3 pm. Union Ministers Narendra Singh Tomar, Pralhad Joshi & BJP general secretary Tarun Chugh will conduct the meeting to elect our new chief minister: Yamal Vyas, chief spokesperson, Gujarat state BJP.
Gujarat BJP legislature party to meet today at the party office in Gandhinagar. Union Ministers and BJP's central observers for Gujarat Prahlad Joshi and Narendra Singh Tomar to be present. (ANI)
BJP central leadership will take call on who the chief minister will be following my meeting with the state’s leaders, said Pralhad Joshi.
In May 2020, amidst the first wave of Covid-19, Dhaval Patel, an editor with Gujarati news web portal Face of Nation, wrote an article talking of a possible change of leadership in Gujarat. Patel was slapped with a sedition charge, and spent 14 days in judicial custody before getting bail. On Saturday, Patel, who moved out of India after the FIR was quashed, called Rupani’s resignation a “vindication” of what he had reported.
While the article was taken down soon after it was posted, the FIR was quashed in November last year, only after Patel submitted an “unconditional apology” before the Gujarat High Court. While quashing the FIR, filed by a police sub-inspector, the court cautioned Patel that “as and when he may publish any article in future, no such comments be used against any constitutional functionaries without verification and he shall be cautious of not repeating the same”. (Read Sohini Ghosh and Vaibhav Jha's report)
Union Minister and BJP central observer for Gujarat, Narendra Singh Tomar, and the party’s national general secretary Tarun Chugh reach the residence of Gujarat BJP president CR Paatil. The party is in the middle of appointing a new chief minister of the state as Vijay Rupani stepped down on Saturday.
The parallel between Vijay Rupani’s exit and Anandiben Patel’s couldn’t have been more striking — and ironic.
Replacing Anandiben with Rupani in August 2016 was seen as a deft political move by then BJP president Amit Shah a year ahead of Assembly elections. Named CM by Narendra Modi who left for New Delhi to take charge as Prime Minister in 2014, Anandiben came under fire: the Patidar agitation, led by Hardik Patel, now working president of the state Congress, foreshadowed party distress — it lost elections to a majority of the local bodies in December 2015. This was followed by the public flogging of Dalits in Una in 2016 which played out nationally ahead of the UP elections. (Read Leena misra and Liz Mathew's report)
With Vijay Rupani resigning from the CM’s position, names of several BJP leaders from the state have popped up for the post — Gordhan Zadafia, Nitin Patel, Mansukh Mandaviya, Praful Khodabhai Patel, and CR Paatil. Read More
The BJP has appointed Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi and Narendra Singh Tomar as observers, as the party looks to avert the crisis in Gujarat at the earliest by choosing a new chief minister to replace Vijay Rupani, who stepped down on Saturday.
Party legislators are expected to meet and elect Rupani’s replacement on Sunday. BJP general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh and Gujarat state in-charge Bhupender Yadav are already in the state, consulting leaders over the exercise. Both were having a series of meetings and discussions even ahead of Rupani’s resignation on Saturday. (Read Liz Mathew's report)
Even as cabinet colleagues and bureaucrats said they were shocked by the “suddenness” of Chief Minister Vijay Rupani’s resignation, top leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Gujarat said they had seen it coming and was expected at least “15 days ago”. Read More
C R Paatil, Gujarat BJP chief and Navsari MP, says, “Together with Vijay Rupani and the new Chief Minister appointed by the party, we will achieve our target of winning 182 out of 182 seats in the next assembly elections and work to strengthen the party.” (ANI)
The Gujarat BJP legislature party is likely to meet on Sunday to choose the new chief minister following Vijay Rupani's resignation, a party leader said here.
Union Minister Amit Shah may join the legislature party meeting along with central observers, state BJP spokesperson Yamal Vyas was quoted as saying by PTI.
Vyas was speaking to reporters after a meeting of senior leaders including national general secretary B L Santhosh and Union minister Bhupender Yadav at the party headquarters 'Kamalam' here.
"The BJP legislature party is likely to meet on Sunday, but we will be able to confirm this once the central parliamentary board conveys the exact time of the meeting to us. All BJP MLAs will attend the meeting along with central observers," Vyas said. The name of the new CM will be decided in the meeting, he added. (PTI)
The Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress' youth wing on Saturday said the change of guard in Gujarat signals the end of BJP rule in the state.
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Saturday resigned from the post, over a year before the state goes to polls. It is not clear what prompted the development in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state where elections to the 182-member Assembly are due in December next year.
"AAP enters Uttrakhand, presents a robust and effective opposition to ruling BJP. BJP was compelled to remove its CM. AAP breaches BJP's citadel, wins 27 seats in Surat, captures the space of opposition in Gujarat dislodging ineffective Congress. BJP forced to remove its CM," AAP leader Raghav Chadha said in a tweet.
The Indian Youth Congress said in a tweet in Hindi, "In the election states, people have made up their mind to change the BJP government, but they are constantly changing the Chief Minister to mislead the people. No matter how many Chief Ministers they change, the people have made up their mind to change the BJP itself!" (PTI)
The Congress on Saturday said the onus of Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani's failure is on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his leadership.
Soon after Rupani resigned, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala alleged that there is deep-seated infighting in all BJP-ruled states including the prime minister's home state Gujarat. "Two things stand out today - Deep seated infighting in all BJP ruled states, be it Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam or Haryana. Bhakt media remains oblivious to fratricidal wars in the BJP, for their only mandate is to focus on opposition ruled states," he said on Twitter.
"This shows failure of Prime Minister's and Home Minister's leadership. If their anointed Chief minister Vijay Rupani has failed Gujarat and its people after five years, onus must lie at the doorsteps of Modiji," Surjewala also said using the hashtag "VijayRupaniResigns"
The Congress leader said it is time to rid Gandhi-Patel's 'Karambhoomi' of the "machiavellian BJP and its leadership". Surjewala also dubbed the BJP as "Bhayanak jhagda party" and cited examples of infighting within the party in several states. (PTI)
The Indian Youth Congress said in a tweet in Hindi, "In the election states, people have made up their mind to change the BJP government, but they are constantly changing the Chief Minister to mislead the people. No matter how many Chief Ministers they change, the people have made up their mind to change the BJP itself!"
The resignation of Vijay Rupani as the Gujarat Chief Minister on Saturday comes more than a year after Dhaval Patel, a journalist associated with a Gujarati news web portal ‘Face of Nation’, was slapped with sedition charge over a speculative political article titled, “Mansukh Mandaviya called by high command, chances of leadership change in Gujarat” published on May 7 last year.
Patel was booked under Indian Penal Code Section 124 A for sedition and Section 54 of the Disaster Management Act (punishment for false warning) by the Ahmedabad Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) on May 11 for “trying to create unrest in society”, for allegedly writing and publishing the report on his portal on May 7.
The FIR was quashed in November last year only after he submitted an “unconditional apology” before the Gujarat High Court. Read more.
Vijay Rupani may have been a soft-spoken chief minister, but political observers feel that it may have also contributed to his image of being a ‘weak’ CM, who allowed bureaucrats to overrule the political leadership in taking key decisions.
Some observers also point to the way he handled the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic and economic and social distress that followed it, even suggesting that it may have contributed to his downfall.
During his second stint as the CM, Rupani (65), who resigned from the post on Saturday over a year before the next Assembly polls are due, was instrumental in passing tough anti-conversion law against interfaith marriages, and another one against those involved in cow slaughter. Read more.
AAP state president Gopal Italia, under whose leadership the party made some inroads in the local body elections in Gujarat, said, “It is the tradition of the BJP to change chief ministers. After the earthquake in 2001, then chief minister Keshubhai Patel was changed. Later, Anandiben Patel was replaced as CM during the Patidar quota agitation which started in 2015. Now, it is Rupani’s turn. The reason behind changing the CM in Gujarat is that BJP leaders are power-hungry. They don’t want to lose their power in the state.”
Italia claimed that BJP, which had been ruling Gujarat for last 27 years, has failed in all the sectors, be it education, health, business or agriculture.
Meanwhile, AAP Gujarat general secretary Manoj Sorathiya said, “After 27 years of governance in Gujarat, if the BJP has to change its CM then it shows its poor state. The AAP has been working extremely hard for the past 1.5 years in Gujarat and has performed well in the recent local body polls. Due to which today the BJP has gone on defensive mode.”
Young Patidar leader and working president of the Congress state unit Hardik Patel has said that the resignation of Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani is an attempt to mislead the people of Gujarat.
"With the resignation of Vijay Rupani, it has become clear that the BJP has failed miserably in its governance of Gujarat. The state’s image has suffered due to the horrifying pictures emerging from crematoriums and the piling up of the bodies of people who died due to oxygen shortage amid the pandemic,” Patel said.
He recalled the Patidar Anamat Andolan in Gujarat in 2015, after which former chief minister Anandiben Patel was asked to resign. “After 2014, our agitation resulted in the removal of the chief minister. Once again, the people’s anger has led to a change in the CM. The real change, however, will come after the elections in Gujarat next year when the people will overthrow this government,” Patel said.
Names of Gujarat Deputy CM Nitin Patel, state agriculture minister R C Faldu and Union ministers Purshottam Rupala and Mansukh Mandaviya are doing the rounds amid speculation over who will succeed Vijay Rupani as Gujarat chief minister.
'Names of Patel, Faldu, Rupala and Mandaviya are being discussed. But it is impossible to say who will be the chief minister as the decision will be taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi,' a party leader said.
When Anandiben Patel resigned as chief minister in August 2016, there was talk that Patel would succeed her, but in a last-minute decision, Rupani was chosen for the top post. The demand to make Nitin Patel chief minister began to trend on social media after Rupani's resignation.
Union health minister Mandaviya, who like Patel belongs to the influential Patidar community, is also considered a front-runner. Leaders of the community had demanded recently that the next chief minister should be a Patidar. (PTI)
Vijay Rupani became the fourth Chief Minister to put in his papers this year. Earlier, Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa had resigned and two chief ministers in Uttarakhand — Tirath Singh Rawat and Trivendra Rawat — had also stepped down.
Similar to Rupani, Yediyurappa had stated that he decided to resign willingly. "There has been no coercion from anyone in Delhi. I voluntarily decided to resign on the occasion of the second anniversary of the government," he had said. Read more.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee president Amit Chavda said, “This government has been an abject failure on all fronts. We knew that the state government in Gujarat was remote controlled from Delhi and the manner in which Anandiben was asked to resign without completing her term, in the same manner, Vijay Rupani has also not been allowed his full term. The BJP is hiding its failures and making Rupani a scapegoat."
"The internal dispute within the Gujarat BJP was apparent since CR Paatil was chosen as the Gujarat BJP president and today it has reached its pinnacle. The government had failed in COVID management, over three lakh people died in first and second wave, lakhs of youth are unemployed in the state and farmers are committing suicide. Bhajpa ne Rupani ka Bhog Lagaya hai apni vifalta chupane ke liye aur Gujarat ki janta ye jaan chuki hai," he added.
Nitin Patel, who had been serving as the deputy chief minister to Vijay Rupani, also reached the party headquarters.
Following the announcement, several BJP leaders have started arriving at the BJP headquarters in Gandhinagar. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya also reached the party headquarters.
Vijay Rupani Saturday resigned as Chief Minister of Gujarat, a year before the state Assembly elections. After tendering his resignation to Governor Acharya Devavrat, Rupani said he had willingly stepped down from the post after a decision in this regard was taken by the BJP in the “larger interest of Gujarat”