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Who is Vijay Rupani? All you need to know about the new Gujarat CM

All you need to know about the man who has replaced Anandiben Patel as CM of Gujarat.

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Vijay Rupani (Right) with Amit Shah
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Vijay Rupani has been chosen as the man to head Gujarat ahead of the 2017 elections after Anandiben Patel stepped down. Patel, with all due respect  to her abilities, always had a hard act to follow after Narendra Modi’s 12-year-rule. She barely lasted two years and now it’s time for Rupani, a member of the Jain community from Rajkot to see if he can fare better. The decision to elect Rupani came as a surprise as many thought Nitin Patel would be the man for the top slot. The decision to make Rupani as chief minister and Nitin Patel, the incumbent health minister, as his deputy was taken at hectic parleys involving BJP President Amit Shah and Gadkari. Earlier in the day, Nitin Patel's office had claimed that his name has been finalised by the BJP to fill the position.

Patel had given a series of interviews to national television channels listing how he intends to take the state forward when it is facing the challenges like Patel quota agitation and Dalit unrest. Even sweets were distributed at his residence and a pooja was also organised. However, in the two hours after BJP national president Amit Shah reached the party office at 4 PM, followed by observers Gadkari and Saroj Pandey, the top leaders of the state remained in a huddle in one of the conference rooms of BJP state headquarters at Koba village on the outskirts of Gandhinagar.

Shah, Gadkari, Pandey, Anandiben, Nitin Patel, Vijay Rupani and BJP joint general secretary (organisation) V Satish were present in the meeting, besides some other leaders.

The man chosen to head Gujarat is believed to be close to Amit Shah and Modi, while Nitin Patel is closer to former CM Anandiben Patel. Rupani has been the president of the Gujarat BJP since Feb 2016, and was inducted in Anandiben Patel’s cabinet last year as water supply, transport, labour and employment minister. Patel is known for being a problem-solver who has the ability to juggle various portfolios and has a long association with the Sangh Parivar. He is also on good terms with leaders like Keshubhai Patel, and has a squeaky clean image to boot.

A former ABVP member, he was jailed during the 1975 Emergency, and he is known for his conciliatory approach to problems, which makes him a good choice when the state is facing agitations by members of the Patidar community and Dalits. Rupani was elected as Rajkot (West) MLA and Pravin Maniar, a former RSS chief was of his political mentor. Rupani’s challenges will include the  Narendra Modi’s huge shoes as Gujarat CM, calming down the Patidar and Dalit movements. He also has to check the rise of AAP who are starting to make their presence felt in Gujarat and the Congress who are starting a revival.

He will also have to lead the party to victory in the 2017 Assembly Election because Gujarat is a stronghold BJP state and losing it will make the party at the Centre look weak not just among its opponents but also its allies.

With agency inputs

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