BJP has picked in Bhupendra Patel its last Gujarat CM, says Hardik

Ahmedabad, Sep 12 (PTI) Patidar leader Hardik Patel on Sunday said that Bhupendra Patel, who also belongs to his community, would be the BJP's last chief minister in Gujarat as the people of the state have decided to throw the saffron party out of power at least for the next 25 years.

Bhupendra Patel (59) was unanimously elected as BJP legislative party leader here on Sunday, a day after Vijay Rupani resigned from the post. Patel will be sworn in as the chief minister on Monday.

In an open letter addressed to the CM-designate, Hardik Patel, who is Gujarat Congress's working president, asked what he can achieve in one year (as Assembly polls are scheduled next year) that the BJP could not in the last 25 years.

"BJP has given you this responsibility a few months before the elections to hide its failure, but what can you do in one year (Assembly election is due in Gujarat in December 2022) what your party could not do in 25 years for education, health, women, youth and farmers, for the most vulnerable sections of Gujarat?" he asked and said this is a question that the people of Gujarat have posed before him.

"The BJP has appointed in you its last chief minister, because the people of Gujarat have made up their mind to throw the anti-poor, anti-youth BJP out of power, at least for the next 25 years. Now time has come to change the entire government and not just the chief minister," Hardik added.

Hardik Patel rose to prominence in 2015 on the back of the Patidar quota agitation. The protest spearheaded by him for reservation to the youths from his community in government jobs and educational institutions had rocked the state and followed with the resignation of the then chief minister Anandiben Patel, who was later replaced by Vijay Rupani over a year ahead of the 2017 Assembly polls.

In the same way, Rupani tendered his resignation from the top post on Saturday more than a year ahead of the 2022 state elections. PTI KA PD NP NP