The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislature party will meet at 3 pm in Gandhinagar on September 12 to elect a new leader following the shock resignation of chief minister Vijay Rupani the previous day.
Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Pralhad Joshi will be central observers at the legislature party meeting in which a new leader will be picked to take over as the chief minister of the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah.
"I will hold consultations with Gujarat leaders, then the central leadership will take a decision," Joshi told news agency ANI.
Also read: Next Gujarat CM: Nitin Patel, Mansukh Mandaviya in the race after Vijay Rupani's resignation
The new chief minister, along with the council of ministers, is likely to be sworn in on September 13.
Rupani submitted his resignation along with that of his council of ministers to Governor Acharya Devvrat on September 11, paving the way for a change of guard in the state going to the polls in 15 months.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, deputy chief minister in the Rupani government Nitin Patel, Lieutenant Governor of Lakshadweep Praful Khoda Patel and BJP MP from Gujarat Parshottam Rupala and outgoing cabinet minister RC Faldu are among those in the race to replace Rupani, sources said.
Also read: Why BJP decided to remove Vijay Rupani as Gujarat CM 15 months ahead of assembly polls?
The state BJP president CR Paatil, whose name also figured among the probables, ruled himself out of the race.
Sources said a Patidar face is likely to be the new CM ahead of next year’s assembly election. Mandavia, Nitin Patel, Rupala are from the powerful Patidar community.
Also read: Vijay Rupani had to go as BJP wanted to take no chances on Gujarat polls
In the 2017 polls, Rupani, after having survived the incumbency factor and a violent quota stir by the Patidars, returned as CM with BJP winning 99 seats in the 182-member assembly. The Congress managed 77 seats in what many saw as a stiff fight.
Gujarat has to hold assembly elections by December 2022.
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