Ahmedabad:In a surprise move, the legislators from the ruling dispensation elected Bhupendra Patel as their leader - to become the next Chief Minister of Gujarat on Sunday after Vijay Rupani quit as CM on Saturday.
Sources said the name of Patel, an MLA from Ghatlodia Assembly constituency in Gujarat, was proposed by the caretaker CM Rupani.
The resolution to this effect was unanimously adopted by the BJP's Legislature Party.
The CM-designate will meet the Governor Acharya Devvrat and stake claim to form the government.
Patel could lead the party in the December 2022 state elections, say sources.
Earlier, BJP had appointed Union ministers Narendra Tomar and Pralhad Joshi as observers for the LP meeting to elect its next leader.
Both the union ministers along with state BJP chief CR Patil held a series of meetings with the top BJP brass before LP meet.
Rupani, (65), the fourth chief minister to demit office in BJP-ruled states during the coronavirus pandemic, was sworn in as chief minister in December 2017.
The BJP had replaced Anandiben Patel a year before Assembly polls were due in 2017.
The same again has been done with Rupani.
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