Rajkot West MlA and BJP State unit president Vijay Rupani will take as 16th Chief Minister of Gujarat at 12.39 pm (Vijay Muhurat) on Sunday along with Nitin Patel, who is set to become Deputy Chief Minister.
Preparation for the swearing-in ceremony of Rupani and his Council of Ministers are going on war-footing at Mahatma Mandir in the State capital Gandhinagar. The ceremony will be attended by BJP’s national president Amit Shah, in-charge of Gujarat BJP affairs Dinesh Sharma, Union Minister Parashotam Rupala, party’s secretary (organisation) V Satish and all the State BJP leaders including outgoing CM Anandiben Patel.
“Apart from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, invitations have sent to Modi’s Council of Ministers and office-bearers of BJP. Members of the party’s Margdarshak Mandal including lK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi have also been invited. Besides, invitations were given to all the Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled States,” said a senior State BJP leader.
On Saturday morning Chief Minister-designate Rupani, Deputy Chief Minister -designate Nitin Patel and other State leaders met Gujarat Governor OP Kohli to stake claim to form a new Government. Gujarat BJP in-charge handed over a letter to Kohli in this regard.
After the meeting, State BJP in-charge Sharma said that the Governor was informed by the party leaders on BJP legislature’s endorsement on the names of Rupani and Patel as CM and Deputy CM. In response the Governor gave the go ahead for the swearing-in ceremony on Sunday, Sharma said. He however didn’t divulge anything on who else would take oath at Mahatma Mandir along with Rupani and Patel.
Rupani and Patel were unanimously picked in an important meeting on Friday evening at the party’s Gujarat headquarter ‘Shree Kamalam’ in presence of Shah. The decision of BJP MlAs was later on announce by BJP’s Central Observer and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.
All these developments took place following Anandiben Patel’s resignation on Wednesday. Patel is completing 75 years in November.