Outgoing Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani congratulates newly elected Bhupendra Patel

Vijay Rupani congratulated Bhupendra Patel on being elected as the next Gujarat chief minister after the former handed in an abrupt resignation.

“I congratulate Bhupendra Patel on his appointment as chief minister of Gujarat,” said Rupani.

Also Read | Who is Bhupendra Patel?

After Vijay Rupani’s resignation as Gujarat CM, deputy chief minister Nitinbhai Patel’s name started floating along with other contenders like State BJP president C R Paatil and Union health minister Mandaviya.

However, Bhupendra Patel as the new Gujarat CM was an idea not many had stumbled upon.

Before the BJP’s official announcement, political pundits had been speculating if it was time for Nitin Patel to be given his due after a late snub in August 2016 when Anandiben Patel resigned and he was a front-runner.

Likewise in 2021, after Vijay Rupani’s resignation, all eyes were on Nitin Patel with his supporters displaying posters backing his name for the chief minister’s post across Gujarat on Sunday.

However, it wasn’t meant to be as the BJP picked Bhupendra Patel.

A one time MLA, Bhupendra Patel won the 2017 election from the Ghatlodiya constituency and is also the former chairman of the standing committee of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.

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.  

The newly-appointed CM of Gujarat, is likely to meet the state governor at 6 pm today and stake claim to form government.