First-time MLA from Gujarat’s Ghatlodiya, Bhupendra Patel took oath as the Gujarat Chief Minister on Monday, three days after Vijay Rupani’s surprise exit from the post. 

Patel was unanimously elected BJP legislature party leader on Sunday. He was sworn in as the state’s 17th chief minister. 

Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat on Sunday invited Patel to take oath as chief minister. “The new leader of BJP’s Legislature Party Bhupendrabhai Patel presented a proposal to form the government under his leadership. Accepting the proposal, he was invited to take oath as CM on September 13 at 2.20 PM,” tweeted the Governor.

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Born in Ahmedabad, Patel is an MLA from the Ghatlodia seat, previously held by former chief minister and now Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel. He won the seat by over 1.17 lakh votes in 2017, the highest margin in that poll. Ghatlodia is part of the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency represented by Shah.

Also read: Bhupendra Patel’s appointment as Gujarat CM is ‘like Diwali’, says family

Patel, who holds a diploma in civil engineering, has served as Ahmedabad municipal councillor and as the chairperson of the Standing Committee of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority. He is also a trustee at Patidar organisations Sardardham and Vishwa Umiya Foundation.

With state Assembly polls scheduled in December 2022, the BJP is banking on Bhupendra Patel, a Patidar, to lead the party. In the 2017 Assembly elections, BJP won 99 of the 182 seats and Congress got 77.