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On Wednesday, the BJP Parliamentary Board held a meeting to decide the fate of Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel who had resigned from the post of CM on Monday. The panel convened after 9 am and the members agreed to accept Patel’s resignation. No announcement was made regarding the next Gujarat CM, but the announcement is likely to be made on Wednesday.
BJP members Venkaiah Naidu, Amit Shah, Gujarat’s representative in the Parliament Arun Jaitley, Thavar Chand Gehlot and JP Nadda convened at PM Modi’s residence for the meeting.
Anandiben Patel's resignation has been accepted by BJP Parliamentary board: Venkaiah Naidu pic.twitter.com/T8hnH9muem
— ANI (@ANI) August 3, 2016
After the meeting ended, Venkaiah Naidu announced that Anandiben Patel’s resignation had been accepted, “Anandiben Patel ji will go to Raj Bhavan today and submit her resignation to the Governor.”
Many speculated that BJP President Amit Shah would be next in line to take up the CM post, but Naidu squashed the rumours. “No question of Amit Shah ji. Party wants him to lead us in national politics.”
No question of Amit Shah ji. Party wants him to lead us in national politics: Venkaiah Naidu on next Gujarat CM pic.twitter.com/PePR2YJ6Tq
— ANI (@ANI) August 3, 2016
“The next Gujarat chief minister will be from the state,” Naidu added. He also said that BJP leaders Nitin Gadkari and Saroj Pandey will be appointed as observers, who will go to Gujarat and hold meetings to decide the next CM.
Naidu also applauded Patel’s 18 years of service to Gujarat as a minister.
On Monday, Anandiben Patel, who will turn 75 in November, offered to resign on Facebook and gave age as the reason for relinquishing the post. Many speculated that the party top brass was unhappy with the outgoing chief minister for her failure to contain the Patel agitation, as Patels are a key vote bank for the party in the poll-bound state. To make matters worse, her relationship with Amit Shah was also not amiable.
The Gujarat Assembly elections are slated to happen in 2017.
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