Gandhinagar, Gujarat

India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday named party lawmaker Bhupendra Patel as the next Chief Minister of western Gujarat state— the home state of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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59-year-old Patel was unanimously elected BJP legislature party leader in Gandhinagar city.

His name was proposed by Vijay Rupani who had resigned from the CM post on Saturday, surprising many.

The new leader is expected to meet the state governor, Acharya Devvrat, to stake claim to form the government.

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Patel won the 2017 Gujarat Legislative Assembly elections from Ahmedabad`s Ghatlodia constituency.

Also read | Western Indian state of Gujarat’s Chief Minister Vijay Rupani resigns

He holds a diploma in civil engineering and is considered close to former CM Anandiben Patel, who won from the seat in 2012 polls.

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Earlier, he served as a municipal councillor in Ahmedabad. He has been the chairman of Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA) and used to head the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation standing committee. Bhupendra Patel belongs to the influential Patel community.

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The latest development comes as the elections to the 182-member Gujarat Assembly are due in December 2022.

Rupani, the fourth chief minister to demit office in BJP-ruled states during the coronavirus pandemic, was sworn in as chief minister, his second stint as CM in December 2017.

Rupani, who completed five years in office on August 7 this year, first became the chief minister on August 7, 2016, following the resignation of incumbent Anandiben Patel, and continued in the office after the BJP's victory in the 2017 Assembly elections.

(With inputs from agencies)