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Jagdish Vishwakarma set to become Gujarat’s new BJP president unopposed
Vishwakarma, a 52-year-old MLA from the Nikol constituency in Ahmedabad, has served as a minister of state in the Gujarat government since 2021
Gujarat’s minister of state (MoS) Jagdish Vishwakarma is set to become the new Bharatiya Janata Party’s Gujarat unit president after he submitted his nomination papers.
Vishwakarma filed his nomination at the party headquarters in Gandhinagar on Friday.
According to party officials aware of the details, no other nominations were received, positioning Vishwakarma for an uncontested election. The formal declaration is scheduled for Saturday.
The development follows a process initiated earlier this week with a notification for internal elections, with the nomination window closing on Friday.
With Vishwakarma’s solitary entry, no voting will take place, and he is set to assume the role immediately after the session, said a party leader.
Vishwakarma, a 52-year-old MLA from the Nikol constituency in Ahmedabad, has served as a minister of state in the Gujarat government since 2021, overseeing Cooperation, Salt Industries, Protocol, MSME, Cottage Industries, Khadi and Village Industries, Civil Aviation, Printing and Stationery, Forest and Environment, and Climate Change.
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He entered the state assembly in 2012 on a BJP ticket and secured re-election in 2017 and 2022.
Born in Ahmedabad to Ishwarbhai Vishwakarma, he holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Gujarat University. His political career began in 1998 as a booth-level worker in Thakkarbapanagar, progressing through district roles to his current legislative position.
Hailing from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) community, he represents a key demographic, strengthening the BJP’s outreach to OBC voters in Gujarat.
This transition follows the tenure of CR Patil, who held the Gujarat BJP presidency since July 2020 and also serves as Union minister. Patil’s formal term as state president ended in July 2023, but the party extended his role to maintain stability for subsequent electoral activities, including by-elections and Rajya Sabha polls, through October 2.
