Gujarat BJP MLAs likely to choose new CM tomorrow, but Vijay Rupani a favourite
Union minister Arun Jaitley and party general secretary Saroj Pandey, who have been appointed central observers for the election, will hold consultations with the MLAs before the new chief minister is
New Delhi, December 21: The newly elected BJP MLAs of Gujarat are likely to meet in Gandhinagar on December 22 to elect their leader who would be the next chief minister of the key western state, party sources said.
Union minister Arun Jaitley and party general secretary Saroj Pandey, who have been appointed central observers for the election, will hold consultations with the MLAs before the new chief minister is announced.
Though
incumbent
Vijay
Rupani
continues
to
be
the
favourite
for
the
coveted
job,
there
is
speculation
about
his
continuance
given
the
BJP's
narrow
victory
in
its
bastion.
The
BJP
has
99
seats
in
the
182-member
Assembly,
seven
more
than
the
92
required
for
forming
the
government
but
its
lowest
in
a
long
time.
The
Congress
and
its
pre-poll
allies
have
80
seats,
with
the
main
opposition
party
having
77.
BJP chief Amit Shah had said during the campaign that the elections would be fought under Rupani. Since Modi was the face of the BJP in the keenly fought electoral battle, a last minute change cannot be completely ruled out, sources said.
Many in the party wonder if the top leadership would go for somebody from the Patidar community, as the party prepares for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Though the Patidars have traditionally backed the BJP, a section led by young community leader Hardik Patel turned against the party over the quota issue.
The BJP leadership's propensity for springing a surprise while making its choices for top positions, be it a chief minister or the president, has left many guessing if someone new will be chosen to helm the state.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and Manohar Lal Khattar and Trivendra Singh Rawat, is Haryana and Uttarakhand counterparts, were all surprise choices. So was President Ramnath Kovind.
Even Rupani was seen as a surprise choice when the party decided to replace Anandiben Patel last year. While many thought Nitin Patel was an obvious replacement of Anandiben, he was eventually made the deputy chief minister.
Rupani is known to be close to Amit Shah, has a clean image, and is seen as caste-neutral, qualities which may finally tilt the scales in his favour.
PTI