Bhupendra Patel, a first-time MLA from Ghatlodia constituency in Gujarat, will take oath as the 17th chief minister of the state on September 13.
Patel, 59 will replace Vijay Rupani who resigned from the top post on September 11, fifteen months ahead of assembly polls.
Patel, a surprise pick, was chosen as Rupani's replacement at the legislative party meeting held in Gandhinagar on September 12. He defied all speculations and was not among the names doing rounds as top contenders for the post.
Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat has invited Patel to take oath at 2:20 pm. Patel met the Governor at Raj Bhawan in Gandhinagar on September 12 to stake a claim to the top post in the state. He was accompanied by his predecessor Vijay Rupani and a delegation of BJP leaders.
"The newly appointed leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party's Legislature Party, Bhupendrabhai Patel, presented a proposal to form a new government under his leadership at the Raj Bhavan. Accepting the proposal, he was invited to take oath as the Chief Minister on September 13, 2021, at 2:20 pm," the Governor said in a tweet.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to attend the swearing-in ceremony, news agency ANI said.
Born on July 15, 1962, in Ahmedabad, Patel has a diploma in civil engineering. A builder by profession, Patel is a member of the Kadva Patidar community, a sub-caste of the Patidar community mainly found in north Gujarat and the Saurashtra region.
The Patidar community is considered key to electoral success in Gujarat, where it is a dominant caste with a sizeable control over the economy, especially in the cooperative sector, real estate, education, and construction. His proximity with the Gujarat business fraternity also worked in his favour, sources said.
Also, read: Why BJP decided to remove Vijay Rupani as Gujarat CM 15 months ahead of assembly polls?
Patel defeated Shashikant Patel of the Congress in the 2017 Gujarat assembly polls by a huge margin of 1,17,000 voters. The seat in Ahmedabad was earlier held by former chief minister Anandiben Patel who is now Governor of Uttar Pradesh.
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