Home Minister Amit Shah heads to Ahmedabad; Gujarat likely to have 2 deputy CMs

Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah has headed to Ahmedabad for a change in guard in the Gujarat leadership. State BJP MLAs have been summoned to the party headquarters in Gandhinagar to elect Vijay Rupani's successor. As per sources, the meeting is likely to take place later today, September 11, or on Sunday.

Reportedly, Gujarat will have two deputy chief ministers. Gordhan Zadafia is also likely to get a key position in the government. Union Health and Family Welfare Welfare Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Gujarat Deputy CM Nitin Patel have already reached the BJP headquarters in Gandhinagar.

In the race for the chief minister's seat, Mandaviya is the front runner. The other top candidates are deputy CM Nitin Patel, Union Minister Parshottam Rupala and State Agriculture Minister RC Faldu.

The Bharatiya Janata Party wants a complete revamp of the government in Gujarat and state leadership before Assembly polls in the state, which is due to take place in the latter part of 2022. 

The party is also planning a major cabinet reshuffle. As per sources, around six ministers are expected to be dropped from the cabinet with reports suggesting Bhupendrasinh Chudasama's name in the list.

Vijay Rupani resigns as Gujarat CM

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Saturday submitted his resignation to the Governor and said that he is ready to take new responsibilities in the party. "I express my gratitude to the Prime Minister for the opportunity I got in the development journey of Gujarat," he said.

Rupani, who has completed five years in the post, headed to the Raj Bhavan shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Sardardham Bhavan in Ahmedabad. Senior BJP leaders including Mansukh Mandaviya and Nitin Patel were also present at the governor's residence. According to sources, the central leadership of BJP was given an assessment of changing the CM of Gujarat last month.

This development comes ahead of the 2022 Assembly elections in the state. Notably, Rupani has become the third BJP CM to resign from the post in the last few months. In July, Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa had tendered his resignation. Tirath Singh Rawat was also succeeded by Pushkar Singh Dhami in Uttarakhand.

Image: PTI