Anandiben Patel, former chief minister of Gujarat, was appointed the Governor of Madhya Pradesh on Friday. She replaces Om Prakash Kohli, who has been holding additional charge of Madhya Pradesh, along with Gujarat, since September 2016.
Seventy-seven-year-old Patel became the second BJP politician from Gujarat after Vajubhai Vala to have been appointed Governor. Vala is Karnataka Governor.
Patel became the first woman chief minister of Gujarat in 2014 when she succeeded Narendra Modi who went to Delhi as the Prime Minister of India. Considered close to Modi, she was the natural choice to succeed him. In mid 2016, she resigned as the chief minister, citing age criterion of 75 years set by the party.
Ahead of assembly elections last year, Patel had created a stir of sorts when she announced that she was not going to contest the elections. During the elections, some of the candidates she suggested were given tickets.
The cold war between Patel and BJP's national president Amit Shah is an open secret and now with Patel being appointed the Governor of Madhya Pradesh, Shah's supporters are expected to have a free hand in Gujarat.
That things are not well between the two leaders was proved when it came to selecting Patel's successor. While she backed Nitin Patel for the top post, the grapevine is that Shah was not willing to accept it.
Sources said that in the heated discussions and arguments that followed, the prime minister had to intervene and it was decided to have a deputy chief minister. Thus, Vijay Rupani became the chief minister and Nitin Patel, his deputy.
The Patidar reservation stir was at its peak when Patel was the chief minister and it has been often alleged that she could not handle the agitation well.
Patel, a teacher by profession, joined the BJP in 1987 and has also been a Rajya Sabha member. She has the experience of handling important portfolios like revenue and education.
She has two children, Sanjay and Aanar. Aanar is into the filed of social work and when Patel was the chief minister there were allegations that one of the partners of Aanar was given land at a throwaway price near the Gir National Park.
