Bhupendra Patel was named as the next Gujarat Chief Minister at the Gujarat Legislature Party held on Sunday. This comes a day after Vijay Rupani resigned from the post of CM. Patel (55) was unanimously elected at the meeting. His name was proposed by CM Vijay Rupani, whose resignation from the post surprised many.

Patel won the 2017 Gujarat Legislative Assembly elections from Ghatlodia constituency, defeating Congress candidate Shashikant Patel.

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While it is not clear what prompted the change in leadership, it is to be noted that Gujarat‘s 182-member Assembly elections are due in December 2022.

Rupani (65), the fourth chief minister to demit office in BJP-ruled states during the coronavirus pandemic, was sworn in as chief minister – his second stint as CM – in December 2017.

BJP’s general secretary (organisation) B L Santosh and Gujarat state unit in-charge Bhupender Yadav met party functionaries soon after Rupani announced his resignation.

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“I have resigned as chief minister of Gujarat,” Rupani told reporters after meeting Governor Acharya Devvrat and submitting his resignation letter.

“I was allowed to serve the state for five years. I have contributed to the development of the state. I will further do whatever is asked by my party,” Rupani said.

“I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving a common worker like me this opportunity to serve the people of the state as chief minister,” Rupani said.

Rupani and state cabinet colleagues met the governor and submitted their resignations.

He denied that he had any differences with state BJP president C R Paatil.

The names of Gujarat Deputy CM Nitin Patel, state agriculture minister R C Faldu and Union ministers Purshottam Rupala and Mansukh Mandaviya were doing the rounds amid speculation over who will succeed Rupani as CM.

Ahead of the Gujarat Legislature Party meeting Deputy CM Nitin Patel said the new leader “will have to be popular, strong, experienced, and the one who is known and acceptable to all”.

He said the BJP performed “very well” in the local bodies elections held earlier this year in Gujarat, and the party and the next leadership will take decisions and work together to ensure the state develops and wins the state Assembly polls due in December 2022.