Bhupendra Patel, MLA from Ghatlodia constituency in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad, will be sworn in as the new chief minister of Gujarat at Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar at 2:20 pm on Monday, state governor Acharya Devvrat said on Sunday.
Bhupendra Patel, along with other senior BJP leaders, including former state chief minister Vijay Rupani, Union Ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Mansukh Mandaviya and party general secretary Tarun Chaug, met governor Devvrat to take charge of his duties.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will be attending the oath ceremony of Bhupendra Patel tomorrow.
READ: Why the BJP chose Bhupendra Patel to be the new Chief Minister of Gujarat
13 , 2021 2:20 pic.twitter.com/ASSeq59KuS
— Governor of Gujarat (@GovernorofGuj) September 12, 2021
The BJP announced the name of the 59-year-old first-time MLA as the successor of Vijay Rupani following a legislative party meeting at BJP state party headquarters in Kamalam, earlier in the day. Bhupendra Patel’s name was reportedly proposed by Vijay Rupani himself.
An MLA from Ghatlodia constituency, Bhupendra Patel, has previously served as president of Memnagar Municipality in Ahmedabad, and the standing committee chairman of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority.
He won the 2017 Gujarat Legislative Assembly elections from Ghatlodia constituency at the age of 55, defeating Congress candidate Shashikant Patel by 117,000 votes.
COMPLETE SURPRISE FOR BHUPENDRA PATEL AND HIS FAMILY
Surprisingly, as a first time MLA, Bhupendra Patel’s name was nowhere among the frontrunners for the post of Gujarat chief minister, which included deputy CM Nitin Patel, former minister Gordhan Zadafia, and Praful K Patel, administrator of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Lakshadweep.
Besides them, Gujarat BJP chief CR Paatil and Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya were also rumoured to be in the race.
The announcement of Bhupendra Patel’s name and unanimous election as Gujarat CM came as a complete surprise not only to him but to his family as well.
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Speaking to ANI news agency, Bhupendra Patel’s daughter-in-law Devanshi Patel said that the news had taken the family by surprise as it was completely unexpected.
“It’s like Diwali today. This was never expected, a complete surprise for our family, even we saw it on the news,” she said.
Meanwhile, Bhupendra Patel received a grand welcome on his arrival, as scores of supporters gathered outside his office in Ghatlodia on Sunday evening,
Supporters of BJP leader Bhupendra Patel celebrate after he was appointed as new Gujarat CM, outside his office at Ghatlodia in Ahmedabad on September 12, 2021. (PTI Photo)
AMIT SHAH, VIJAY RUPANI CONGRATULATE BHUPENDRA PATEL
As soon as Bhupendra Patel was named as the new Gujarat chief minister, Union Home Minister Amit Shah congratulated him and said he would “infuse new energy and momentum into the state’s development journey.”
“Hearty congratulations and best wishes to Bhupendra Patel on being elected the leader of the BJP’s legislature unit. I’m confident that under the guidance of Narendra Modi and your leadership, Gujarat’s development journey will get a new energy and momentum and the state shall continue to be a leader in good governance and public welfare,” Amit Shah tweeted.
Even Vijay Rupani congratulated Bhupendra Patel and called him a “capable” leader.
“Bhupendra Patel is capable. We believe BJP will win the upcoming elections in the state under his leadership,” he said.
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