Gujarat Chief minister Anandiben Patel, who on Wednesday offered to resign from her post, may be given the role of Punjab governor, according to a report in The Times of India.
The party wants to swap Rajasthan governor Kalyan Singh with Uttarakhand governor K K Paul and Patel's appointment may coincide with that, the daily quoted its BJP sources as saying.
Moreover, the post of Punjab Governor has been lying vacant since Januray 2015 as Haryana governor Kaptan Singh Solanki has been given additional charge of Punjab after the completion of Shivraj Patil's tenure in 2015.
Given the assembly elections in Punjab next year, the role of Governor may assume a greater significance in fractured mandate.
Anandiben Patel offered to resign on Monday, a decision seen prompted by mounting pressure over her government’s handling of a string of political protests.
Patel said in a Facebook post that 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.
“For the past some time there has been a tradition in the party that those who attain the age of 75, voluntarily retire from the post. I will attain the age of 75 in November,” said Patel.
“It (the age rule) is a good thing and it will give a chance to young leaders to come up.”
Patel, the first chief minister to quit over social media, is likely to be succeeded by transport minister and party state chief Vijay Rupani.
