New Delhi: Gujarat will get a new chief minister by the end of this week, after the BJP accepted the resignation of Anandiben Patel on Wednesday. The BJP wants the new chief minister to hoist the national flag on Independence Day in Gujarat.
The decision on the next chief minister will be taken after party leaders hold consultations with the state's MLAs. BJP president Amit Shah will travel to Gujarat on Thursday where he will hold consultations with party leaders and attend the legislature party meeting, likely to be held on Friday to elect the new leader.
Union minister Nitin Gadkari and party general secretary Saroj Pandey are the two central observers appointed by the BJP parliamentary board and they have already left for Gujarat.
The race is now considered to be between Cabinet minister Nitin Patel and state unit chief and Cabinet minister Vijay Rupani. Saurabh Patel, another contender, is out of the reckoning because he is related to a top industrialist.
Dismissing speculations that Mr Shah was being considered to replace Ms Patel, Union minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said, “Amit Shah will remain BJP president.”
