The ruling BJP on Friday retained Vijay Rupani as the chief minister of Gujarat with the legislature party on Friday unanimously electing him as its leader. Nitin Patel was re-elected as the deputy chief minister.
The BJP had retained power for the sixth consecutive time after winning 99 seats in the 182-member Assembly in the recently held assembly elections. The saffron party had set a target of 150+ seats for itself. Congress, together with its allies, has the backing of 80 MLAs.
Senior BJP leader and Union finance minister Arun Jaitley announced that with no other names coming up in response to the proposal of the duo's names, they were elected unanimously.
Jaitley said the central observers, including BJP general secretary Saroj Pandey, asked the MLAs for names for the post of the leader and deputy leader of the legislature party, and one of them—Bhupendra Sinh Chudasama—suggested Rupani and Patel for the posts. Five others backed Chudasama's proposal.
Rupani and Patel were elected at the BJP's legislative party meeting held at the party's state headquarters—Shree Kamalam in Gandhinagar.
Later, Rupani said that their government would not have discrimination against anyone and it would be the government of 6.5 crore people of the state.
Describing the party's win as a “big victory”, Rupani said that people had voted for development. He, however, admitted that a victory after remaining in power for 22 years was a big thing. Rupani remarked that elections were a challenge at a time when the Congress was trying vitiate the atmosphere by playing communal and castiest card.
Rupani denied that there was any arrogance within the party and added that if that was the case they would not have won.
He said that they would analyse the places on which the BJP lost and would work in that direction.
Gujarat, he said, would remain the role model and they would take forward Prime Minister Narendra Modi's thought of “Sab ka saath, sab ka vikas” (inclusive development)
Patel said that their government would take into consideration even smallest needs of the people and have a government which people feel that it is their own.
Soon after the results were announced, there were talks that someone stronger than Rupani and Patel could be selected. This is because the party has to face crucial 2019 elections. In 2014, the BJP had swept all the 26 Lok Sabha seats.
The party, however, preferred to retain the chief minister and his deputy under whose leadership the elections were fought. It felt that changing them at this juncture could have sent wrong signals among the masses.
Names of Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala, Union ministers Parshuttom Rupala and Mansukh Mandaviya were doing rounds. There were rumors that Union minister Smriti Irani could also be made the chief minister.
Celebrations broke out in Rajkot, from where Rupani hails, as soon as his name was announced for the second time as the chief minister.
The date of the swearing in ceremony will be announced later on.
Jaitley said that Rupani and Patel would consult among themselves to form their cabinet.
Independent MLA declares support to BJP
Meanwhile, an independent MLA in Gujarat has declared his support to the BJP, which has retained power in the state.
Lunawada MLA Ratansinh Rathod wrote to Gujarat Governor O.P. Kohli declaring his support to the BJP and also came to BJP headquarters here to participate in the meeting of its newly elected MLAs to elect their leader.
"I have declared unconditional support to BJP," Rathod told reporters.
In his letter to the governor, Rathod has said he extends his unconditional support to the BJP government.
Rathod was a Congress member of Mahisagar district panchyat.
"I had asked for ticket from the Congress party, but they did not gave it so I had to contest as an independent," he said.
Rathod is one of the two independent MLAs who have won in the recently concluded assembly polls.
(With inputs from agencies)
