Vadodara:

Union Minister of State Mansukh Mandaviya today rejected the speculations about change of guard in Gujarat before next year’s Loksabha elections and his possible anointment as the next CM.

Speaking to media persons here Mandaviya, who was at the Sindhusagar pond of Vadodara in connection with the culmination of Sujlam Suphalam scheme of the state government, said that the next Loksabha election would be contested in Gujarat under the leadership of CM Vijay Rupani.

‘There is no question of change of guard. Vijaybhai (Rupani) is the CM and will remain the CM. I am neither in the race for CM nor will be. It is all rumour and wrong,’ he said.

Notably owing to some confusion in media about the names in the committee announced yesterday by the BJP in Gujarat for preparation of Loksabha election, speculations started about a possible change of guard before the election. A section of media went on to speculate that a Patidar leader most likely Mandaviya or incumbent DyCM Nitin Patel both of whom were included among the 11 members of the committee, could be made CM in place of Rupani.

In fact the name of Rupani was not among the 11 members of the committee and a section of media misunderstood it as his name being excluded from the committee along with BJP state president Jeetu Vaghani and general secretary Bheekhu Dalsaniya, all the 3 were in fact included in the committee ex-officio (owing to their posts).

DeshGujarat