Anandiben resigns, Amit Shah to choose her successor

NEW DELHI: The BJP on Wednesday accepted 74-year-old Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel’s resignation, clearing the way for a “young face” to head the government

NEW DELHI: The BJP on Wednesday accepted 74-year-old Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel’s resignation, clearing the way for a “young face” to head the government in a state under its rule for the past 18 years.

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BJP parliamentary board members, who met at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence, also authorised party chief Amit Shah to choose Patel’s successor. Shah will travel to Gujarat on Thursday and attend a meeting of the legislature party where MLAs will elect their new leader.

Union minister Nitin Gadkari and party’s general secretary Saroj Pandey will attend the meeting as central observers. Hours after the meeting in Delhi, Patel met govenor OP Kohli and submitted her resignation. She will continue as the ‘caretaker’ chief minister till her replacement takes over.

The BJP has dismissed as speculation the reports suggesting Shah will be the next chief minister. “Such a question does not arise. He is the party president and will remain party president. The party needs his leadership at the national level. There is no such discussion at all,” Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu said.

Sources claim Shah wants the party’s Gujarat unit chief, Vijay Rupani, to succeed the state’s first woman chief minister. They say Anandiben has reservations about the proposal, given Rupani’s proximity to Shah, whom she considers responsible for her ouster.

Health minister Nitin Patel enjoys her backing. She offered to resign on Monday, a decision seen prompted by mounting pressure over her government’s handling of a string of political protests. In a Facebook post, Anandiben said she told the BJP leadership about her plan to step down two months ago. She said the party needed a fresh face before next year’s state elections.