Gujarat CM-designate Vijay Rupani meets Governor to stake claim to form govt

Ahmedabad: Vijay Rupani, who was on Friday nominated as the next chief minister of Gujarat by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Saturday met Governor OP Kohli to stake claim to form the government.

Vijay Rupani along with Nitin Patel - who will be the deputy CM - called on the Governor at the Raj Bhavan to discuss government formation.

The decision to appoint Rupani as CM came as a major twist as Patel was the frontrunner for the post after the former had bowed out from the race, saying he would like to work for the party.

Yesterday, in a crucial meeting attended by BJP president Amit Shah and Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari at the party headquarters in the state, the decision to make Rupani as the next Chief Minister was announced.

BJP`s Central Observer Nitin Gadkari said after the meeting that the decision was taken by the party MLAs unanimously and through a democratic process.

The BJP central leadership had already made it clear that a state MLA would be assigned the job.

Anandiben Patel had tendered her resignation to the Governor on Wednesday.

Governor OP Kohli had asked her to continue as the care taker chief minster till an alternate arrangement was made.

Patel, who took charge as Gujarat`s first woman chief minister after Narendra Modi took charge as the Prime Minister, citing age issues had in her Facebook post earlier urged the BJP to relieve her from the coveted post.

Patel said that she had two months earlier sought to resign from the party to give "enough time to the new incumbent to prepare for important events like the upcoming `Vibrant Gujarat Summit`.

Her government was criticised for its handling of the outrage created by the public flogging of four Dalit men by self-styled cow protection groups.

(With ANI inputs)