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

Ahmedabad: Gujarat Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Vijay Rupani who was appointed as the new Chief Minister of the state will meet Governor OP Kohli on Saturday to stake claim to form a new government.

Health Minister Nitish Patel, who was named as the Deputy Chief Minster, will also join Rupani in meeting the Governor at 11 this morning in connection with forming a new government in the state.

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

Yesterday, in a crucial meeting attended by 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 has asked her to continue as the care taker chief minster till the alternate arrangement.

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.