BJP Picks Vijay Rupani As Gujarat Chief Minister, Nitin Patel His Deputy

Ahmedabad: BJP's state chief Vijay Rupani will be the next chief minister of Gujarat. Senior minister Nitin Patel, widely tipped for the post, will have to settle for deputy.

Mr Rupani, a Jain leader, is close to both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, whose influence is seen in today's surprise decision. Nitin Patel was on Friday morning accepting felicitations and giving interviews on his plans as chief minister.

Amit Shah is in Ahmedabad and has held multiple meetings with state leaders. He also attended the meeting at which BJP lawmakers elected Vijay Rupani their leader today.

The 60-year-old is known for his formidable organisational skills, which the party will seek to tap into in the run-up to next year's assembly elections.

Vijay Rupani will replace Anandiben Patel, who resigned on Monday, and will serve as Gujarat chief minister for less than one and a half years before assembly elections are held in the state.

After many years, the BJP is seen at a disadvantage in Gujarat as it heads to the elections. Ms Patel was accused of mishandling two large uprisings in the state - the Patel or Patidar agitation and the recent Dalit anger over a brutal assault on four young men by cow vigilantes - and was also blamed for a setback in civic elections.

Her successor has to effect urgent corrections. While the Patidars have been a loyal BJP support base for years, Dalits in the state have also voted for the party in the last few elections.

Ms Patel, handpicked two years ago by PM Modi to be Gujarat's first woman chief minister, had announced her resignation on Facebook on Monday, saying she was quitting two months before her 75th birthday in accordance with the party's practice of retiring older leaders to give a chance to younger leaders.

But sources close to Ms Patel said she was upset with alleged interference in the state administration by Amit Shah, with whom she has not shared the best of equations.