Taking a shocking decision once again under the BJP leadership, Bhupendra Patel has been elected as the new Chief Minister in Gujarat. Patel comes from the Patidar community, so the BJP has engaged this prominent community of the state before the elections. However, he has been less popular than all the big Patidar leaders of the state. One of the reasons behind choosing Bhupendra Patel is also believed to be factionalism of supremacy among the big Patel leaders of the BJP state. Apart from this, he is also close to former Chief Minister and Governor Anandiben Patel along with the likes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
In Gujarat, BJP took shocking decisions on both consecutive days. First, on Saturday, Vijay Rupani resigned and on Sunday Bhupendra Patel was elected as the new leader. MLA from Ghatlodiya seat, Bhupendra Patel has been performing some important responsibilities in the state, but has neither been much talked about in the corridors of power nor has been one of the big leaders of the party. He has also become an MLA from the same seat after Anandiben Patel became the governor.
According to sources, the BJP leadership wanted to get out of the battle for supremacy between the big leaders of the Patidar community and enter the elections by correcting the social equations in the state. In such a situation, Bhupendra Patel was chosen instead of leaders like Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Ministers Purushottam Rupala, Saurabh Patel and Jitu Vaghani. Even Bhupendra Patel got the news of his election only in the last moments. Bhupendra Patel was also the choice of outgoing Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. When the BJP leadership put Bhupendra Patel's name in front of Rupani, he also agreed.
Bhupendra Patel has been very experienced in the party and organization and has also been associated with the Sangh. Being close and confidant of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, they will not face many problems in governance. Being a new face, he has a good image in the Patidar community as well. The people of Gujarat will also have high hopes for him so that he will not have to face any negative image about the BJP leadership. Especially when there is not a good message among the public about the current BJP government during the Corona period, then a new face can be beneficial for it. Bhupendra Patel is a bitter Patel and in the Saurashtra region where the BJP was almost wiped out last time, now the party can get benefits.
