Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi, Narendra Tomar to visit Gujarat as BJP central observers
A day after Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani stepped down from his post, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi and Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar are scheduled to visit the state as Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) central observers on Sunday.
BJP legislative party meeting will also be held today to choose the new chief minister.
On Saturday, Rupani met Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat and submitted his resignation from the post of state Chief Minister.
His resignation came ahead of the election to the 182-member Assembly that is scheduled next year.
While resigning from the post, Rupani said the development journey of Gujarat should continue under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guidance and new leadership.
"To further develop the state, with new energy and power, I have decided to resign as Chief Minister," Rupani told media persons.
Senior Gujarat BJP leaders met at the party office in Gandhinagar after Rupani's resignation. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, CR Patil and Rupani were among those who attended the meeting.
A decision on the next Chief Minister is likely to be made on Sunday after the meeting of MLAs.
Sources said Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Gujarat Minister RC Faldu, state BJP chief CR Patil, and state BJP vice president Gordhan Zadafia are been seen as possible choices for new chief minister.
The 65-year-old leader said that the BJP is an ideology-driven party and the roles of workers keep changing there.
Rupani's resignation comes a year before the scheduled Assembly elections in the state.
He took charge as the Chief Minister of Gujarat on August 7, 2016. He currently represents Gujarat's Rajkot West as MLA.In the 2017 state election, the BJP won 99 of the state's 182 Assembly seats, Congress got 77 seats.
(ANI)
