Amit Shah not to be next Gujarat CM: BJP

New Delhi, Aug 3 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday cleared the air on party president Amit Shah being appointed as the next Chief Minister of Gujarat after Anandiben Patel offered to resign from the post on Monday.

He also said that the next chief minister would be from the existing party MLAs in Gujarat.

"There is no such consultation going on in the party. He (Amit Shah) is party's national president and under his leadership the party has reached great heights. The party needs his leadership. The CM will be from the existing legislators", said Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu after the BJP's parliamentary board meeting.

He, however informed that Shah would be present in the meeting of legislature party to be held in Gujarat on Thursday to decide the next chief minister.

"He will chair the meeting of state legislature party and hold consultation with the stakeholders to decide on the next chief minister of Gujarat," Naidu told reporters here.

Former BJP president Nitin Gadkari and national general secretary Saroj Pandey would also be present in the meeting as central observers.

Calling Anandiben Patel an "inspiration" for many across the country, Naidu said that she headed the government in "satisfactory" manner.

IANS