After a 12-year stint Narendra Modi to resign as CM on May 21

Ahmedabad, May 20:

will put in his papers as Chief Minister of

on Wednesday after heading the state for over 12 years.

Modi, who was appointed Prime Minister of the country today by President Pranab Mukherjee, will also resign as member of Gujarat legislative Assembly tomorrow.

Before tendering his resignation to Governor Kamla Beniwal, Modi will attend a special session of the state legislative Assembly where he will be accorded a farewell by the members.

"He will submit his resignation at around 3.30 PM tomorrow as the Chief Minister of Gujarat," state BJP spokesman Harsad Patel said. Modi, who has a packed schedule tomorrow, will later attend a meeting of the BJP legislature party where his successor will be chosen.

Anandiben Patel has been named as the next Gujarat CM

BJP has appointed senior leader Thavarchand Gehlot as observer for the exercise. He is also likely to accompany the BJP delegation which would call on the Governor with the new leader who would be appointed Chief Minister before submitting his resignation as MLA to Speaker Vajubhai Vala.

The new Chief Minister is likely to take oath at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar on Thursday where Modi will also be present, Patel said.

Modi has been the Chief Minister of Gujarat since October 7, 2001. Earlier in the day, Modi was elected leader of the BJP parliamentary party and also of the NDA after which the President appointed him as Prime Minister. Modi, who last week led BJP and NDA to a landslide victory, will be sworn in as the Prime Minister on May 26.

PTI