Anandiben Patel's resignation: Who will succeed her as next Gujarat CM?

Four senior BJP leaders have emerged as the frontrunners to replace Anandiben Patel as the state's chief minister. They include two ministers in the state government, one minister in the union government, and one party general secretary.

Vijay Rupani: An Amit Shah loyalist, Rupani is seen as the frontrunner to become the next chief minister. Incidentally, it is his birthday on Tuesday, when the BJP parliamentary board will meet to decide on the resignation. He was allowed to continue in the Anandiben ministry even after his election as the state BJP president in February. This, say insiders, is indicative of the high command's (read Modi and Shah's) plans to install him in the CM's chair. He is congenial and is known to take everyone together, a key trait during the elections.

Nitin Patel: A trusted aide of Narendra Modi, Nitin Patel is the senior-most minister in the state. He is also believed to be close to Amit Shah. The two had met in New Delhi recently. In 2014, when it became clear that Modi was on his way to becoming prime minister, Patel was the only BJP leader to have said that he was ready to be CM if the party wanted him to. He belongs to Patel community.

Bhikhubhai Dalsania: A quiet and unassuming person, Bhikhubhai is general secretary of Gujarat BJP. Belonging to the RSS, he is believed to be the link between the Sangh and BJP in the state. He is trusted by Modi. His non-controversial image boosts his chances. He too belongs to the Patel community. However, lack of administrative experience could be seen as a weak point, especially just a year before the elections.

Parsottam Rupala: Rupala's name in the list of frontrunners is actually a surprise as he was appointed as a minister in the central government just last month. He belongs to the Patel community, and is seen as a mass leader. His good oratory can help galvanise the party workers in election year, a quality the other contenders do not possess.

Anandiben Patel's fate sealed two months ago

Anandiben Patel's fate as the chief minister was sealed two months ago, when she was asked by the BJP high command (prime minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah) to submit her resignation, highly placed sources in the BJP, told dna.

BJP sources said that the decision regarding Anandiben's resignation was taken in May itself. However, she was allowed to continue for "some time" after she argued that "being forced to resign would be a blot on her over three-decades long political career", said a source.

"Ben had requested some time so that she could make an honourable and graceful exit, which the party had allowed her to," said the source. (Read more)