Who is Bhupendra Patel, Gujarat CM, first-time MLA and minister? | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
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Who is Bhupendra Patel, Gujarat CM, first-time MLA and minister?

By | Written by Poulomi Ghosh
Sep 12, 2021 05:13 PM IST

Patidar leader Bhupendra Patel is believed to be close to Anandiben Patel, former Gujarat CM.

Bhupendra Patel, popularly known as Bhupendrabhai Patel, will lead Gujarat in its next assembly election in 2022 as the party has announced his name as the successor of Vijay Rupani, who resigned from the post on Saturday. The announcement is as surprising as Vijay Rupani's resignation as 59-year-old Bhupendra Patel is not only the first-time Chief minister but also the first-time minister of Gujarat.

Bhupendra Patel has remained in civic administration for a long time, though this is his first stint as a minister and as the CM. 
Bhupendra Patel has remained in civic administration for a long time, though this is his first stint as a minister and as the CM. 

Here is all you need to know about the new chief minister of Gujarat

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

> Bhupendra Patel is a first-time minister but his association with the RSS goes long back.

> He is believed to be a close aide of Anandiben Patel.

> Bhupendra Patel became an MLA for the first time in 2017 when he defeated Congress's Shashikant Patel by over 1 lakh votes. He represents the Assembly constituency that is part of the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat represented by Union minister Amit Shah.

> Before contesting the Assembly election, he was active in local politics.

> Bhupendra Patel belongs to the Patidar community.

> Bhupendra Patel held various administrative posts of civic bodies in past. He served as the chairman of the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority. He also served as the president of Memnagar Nagarpalika.

> The new CM is an engineer by profession.

> Bhupendra Patel also has a very clear political background with no criminal record, a report said.

>  Patel is also a trustee of Sardardham Vishwa Patidar Kendra, an organisation dedicated to the socio-economic development of the Patidar community, PTI reported. 

Amid allegations and speculations that Bhupendra Patel will be a "remote-controlled" CM, Union home minister Amit Shah expressed confidence in Bhupendra Patel's leadership. "I believe that under the guidance of Narendra Modi, the state's sustainable development will keep up its momentum," Amit Shah tweeted.

After Vijay Rupani resigned on Saturday, speculations regarding the probable contenders for the tough job to handle Prime Minister and home minister's home state in the election year were going on. 

Names of Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya, deputy chief minister Nitin Patel were doing the rounds as the argument was that the BJP might want to replace soft-spoken Vijay Rupani with a strong, more mainstream politician. Bhupendra Patel's name was not among the frontrunners. But in the meeting, his name was unanimously accepted while he was sitting in the last row, reports said.

Unveiling Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

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