Vijay Rupani was elected unopposed. (PTI photo)
Ahmedabad:
After a delay of almost two months, the Gujarat unit of the BJP finally got its new president on Friday with the election of 60-year-old leader from Saurashtra, Vijay Rupani.
Mr Rupani, considered to be a close confidante of national party president Amit Shah, held the Transport Ministry portfolio in the Anandiben Patel government.
Though the former Rajya Sabha member was elected unopposed, the process of electing the new president had been delayed for almost two month indicating a lack of consensus but in the end Mr Rupani got the go-ahead from the party's top brass.
Though considered non-controversial, Mr Rupani's election is seen as a move towards Mr Shah taking indirect control of the state unit which had come under fire following dismal performance in panchayat elections and handling of Patel agitation.
Mr Rupani admitted his task was cut out soon after his election. "There are challenges but we are hopeful of resolving them. We are speaking to agitating Patels hopefully a resolution would be worked out," he told reporters.
The party top brass chose to go with a non-OBC and non-Patel leader at the helm to avoid a tricky political situation, sources said.
Party sources said that though a section of the OBCs (Other Backward Classes) had been veering towards the party due to its anti-reservation stand but that could have further pushed up the anger amongst the Patel community against the party and hence a "safer" option was chosen.
The chief minister who has been under fire from the Patel agitations admitted that the party was facing challenges.
"There have been some ups and down challenges thrown by the Panchayat elections but we have and we will continue to emerge victorious," she told the gathering.
Mr Rupani, considered to be a close confidante of national party president Amit Shah, held the Transport Ministry portfolio in the Anandiben Patel government.
Though the former Rajya Sabha member was elected unopposed, the process of electing the new president had been delayed for almost two month indicating a lack of consensus but in the end Mr Rupani got the go-ahead from the party's top brass.
Though considered non-controversial, Mr Rupani's election is seen as a move towards Mr Shah taking indirect control of the state unit which had come under fire following dismal performance in panchayat elections and handling of Patel agitation.
Mr Rupani admitted his task was cut out soon after his election. "There are challenges but we are hopeful of resolving them. We are speaking to agitating Patels hopefully a resolution would be worked out," he told reporters.
The party top brass chose to go with a non-OBC and non-Patel leader at the helm to avoid a tricky political situation, sources said.
Party sources said that though a section of the OBCs (Other Backward Classes) had been veering towards the party due to its anti-reservation stand but that could have further pushed up the anger amongst the Patel community against the party and hence a "safer" option was chosen.
The chief minister who has been under fire from the Patel agitations admitted that the party was facing challenges.
"There have been some ups and down challenges thrown by the Panchayat elections but we have and we will continue to emerge victorious," she told the gathering.
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