Former Gujarat CM Bhupendra resigns along with cabinet; to take oath on Dec 12

After securing a majority win from the Ghatlodia Constituency in the Gujarat Assembly elections on Thursday, the BJP leader was officially confirmed as the CM candidate from the state. The BJP too secured a historic victory in Gujarat by clinching 156 seats in the 182-member House.

Ahmedabad: Gujarat's outgoing Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Friday tendered his resignation, and will take oath for his second term as the CM of Gujarat on December 12. The BJP leader along with his entire cabinet submitted his resignation letter to Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat on Friday afternoon, clearing the way for his swearing-in ceremony scheduled 3 days later.

After securing a majority win from the Ghatlodia Constituency in the Gujarat Assembly elections on Thursday, the BJP leader was officially confirmed as the CM candidate from the state. The BJP too secured a historic victory in Gujarat by clinching 156 seats in the 182-member House.

Patel was accompanied by Gujarat BJP chief C R Paatil and the party's chief whip Pankaj Desai when he tendered his resignation to Governor Acharya Devvrat at the Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar. Patel was unofficially announced as the CM face for the Assembly elections about a month ago by Union Home Minister and BJP top brass Amit Shah during a public event.

"The governor had accepted the resignation of the chief minister and his cabinet. Till the formation of the new government, Patel will remain as the caretaker chief minister," Desai told reporters outside Raj Bhavan. In a letter, Paatil informed the governor that the BJP, which has won 156 out of 182 seats, has called a legislative party meeting of all the newly-elected MLAs on Saturday morning to elect a new leader, who will eventually become the next chief minister.

"The meeting of MLAs will be held at 10 am on Saturday at the party headquarter Kamalam in Gandhinagar. The governor will be informed about the election of a new leader in the afternoon, for which we have sought time from him. The swearing in of the new chief minister and his cabinet will take place as per the governor's instructions," Desai said.

Paatil had announced that the swearing-in ceremony of the new government will take place on Monday at the Helipad Ground in Gandhinagar.