Amit Shah to pick Anandiben’s successor in consultation with Gujarat MLAs

New Delhi: BJP Parliamentary Board today authorised party president Amit Shah to pick the successor to Gujarat Chief Minister Anadiben Patel after accepting her offer to resign.

Shah will be travelling to Gujarat tomorrow where he will hold consultations with party leaders and attend the legislature party meeting, likely to be held on Friday to elect the new leader.

The meeting of the Parliamentary Board, which was chaired by Shah and attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, appointed Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and BJP general secretary Saroj Pandey as party’s central observers to hold consultations with the MLAs for electing the new leader, senior party leader M Venkaiah Naidu told reporters.

Ruling out the candidature of Shah, also an MLA, for the chief ministerial position, Naidu said the party needs him to lead it at the national level. He said Patel’s successor will be from among the MLAs.

“Such a question does not arise. He is the party president and going to remain party president. The party needs his leadership at the national level. There is no such discussion at all,” he said when asked about reports that Shah was also in the contention.

Shah has taken the party to “great heights” and led it to many successes, he said.

Anandiben Patel had offered to resign on Monday maintaining it was time for a fresh face to take over the state’s reins as she would be soon turning 75, understood to be the undeclared age bar in the party for holding ministerial position.

“The Parliamentary Board gave its approval to Anandiben Patel’s wish to quit,” Naidu said and insisted that the Board did not discuss names of any candidate to replace her.

Naidu told reporters, “Anandiben Patel had wished to be relieved of her responsibility as she would turn 75 soon. She has set up a great precedent for lakhs of party workers. The Board put on record her very good work as the chief minister and as a minister earlier,” Naidu said.

She has been in the state government for over 18 years which, he noted, is perhaps unprecedented for a BJP leader.

Replying to a question if the party has decided to not have leaders over 75 years in government, Naidu said whenever it establishes such a principle it will share this with media.

Noting that Shah is a state MLA, Naidu said he will be present at the legislature party meeting. “He will hold consultations following which the successor will be decided,” he said.

A party source said the Board has authorised Shah to pick the new chief minister.

Nitin Patel, considered number two in the state cabinet, and Gujarat BJP chief Vijay Rupani, who is also a minister, are seen as the front-runners to succeed Anandiben Patel. PTI