Tomar reaches Gujarat, set to discuss probable candidates for CM's post

Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar on Sunday reached Ahmedabad as Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) central observer over the matter of deciding state's leadership, a day after Vijay Rupani resigned from the post of Gujarat Chief Minister.

"We have come here to hold further discussions (over the name of next chief minister of Gujarat). We will hold discussions with the state President and other senior leaders," Tomar told reporters at the airport in Ahmedabad.

Tomar was accompanied by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National General Secretary Tarun Chugh.

Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi is likely to arrive later during the day. The BJP is likely to hold its legislative party meet later today.

The visit of the central leaders comes after Rupani on Saturday met Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat and submitted his resignation from the post of state Chief Minister. His resignation came ahead of the elections to the 182-member Assembly scheduled for next year.

Sources told ANI that Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, BJP vice president Gordhan Zadafia and Dadra and Nagar Haveli Administrator Praful Khoda Patel are being considered as possible choices for new chief minister.

Rupani 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.