The BJP Parliamentary Board will today meet to decide Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel’s successor. Among the names of probables doing the rounds are Vijay Rupani, Nitin Patel, Saurabh Patel (all Ministers in Patel’s Cabinet) and Speaker Ganpat Vasava.
Sources said the final decision would be taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had handpicked Patel to succeed him after becoming the Prime Minister in May 2014.
After the Parliamentary Board’s decision, party vice-president Dinesh Sharma, who is in charge of the party in Gujarat, and organising secretary V Satish will meet MLAs in Ahmedabad.
Meanwhile, reports suggest that once Patel demits office, she is likely to be made a Governor.
There are also reports that BJP president Amit Shah will visit the state for three days from August 4 to 6. But there is no confirmation of the visit in the present scenario.
Ending months of speculation, Gujarat’s first woman Chief Minister Anandiben Patel on Monday offered to quit in keeping with the BJP's "laudable tradition" of leaders vacating their posts as they turn 75.
