Newly-elected Guj BJP MLAs meet begins to choose legislative party leader

A meeting of the newly-elected Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs in Gujarat began here on Saturday to pick a new legislative party leader, who will take over as the next chief minister of the state.

The meeting is underway at the BJP's state headquarters 'Kamalam'.

Bhupendra Patel, 60, on Friday resigned as the chief minister along with his entire cabinet to pave the way for formation of a new government in the state after the ruling BJP won a landslide victory in the just concluded Assembly elections.

Senior BJP leaders Rajnath Singh, B S Yediyurappa and Arjun Munda are present for the meeting as the party's central observers.

The meeting to pick a new leader is said to be just a formality as the party has already announced that Patel, who won a second straight term from the Ghatlodia Assembly seat in Ahmedabad district by 1.92 lakh votes, will remain the chief minister. Patel had replaced Vijay Rupani as Gujarat chief minister in September last year.

The party has already announced that the swearing-in ceremony of the new government will take place on December 12, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah will be present along with chief ministers of BJP-ruled states.

The BJP registered a historic victory in Gujarat by clinching 156 seats in the 182-member House on Thursday, much higher than its tally of 99 seats in 2017.

Gujarat BJP chief C R Paatil had earlier announced that Bhupendra Patel would continue as the chief minister and the swearing-in ceremony of the new government will take place on Monday at the Helipad Ground in Gandhinagar.