Fact News Service
New Delhi, June 10
With C R Patil’s induction into the Union Cabinet, Gujarat’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is poised for a leadership transition. Patil, whose term as the state BJP chief was extended ahead of the recent Lok Sabha elections, is now paving the way for a new leader.
Sources familiar with the matter indicate that Patil’s successor will be announced within the next month, with a likelihood of the appointee hailing from the Other Backward Class (OBC) community. This move aligns with the party’s strategy to regain lost ground, especially after Congress’s Geniben Thakor, representing the Thakor OBC community, secured a Lok Sabha seat in Gujarat. It’s noteworthy that BJP swept all 26 Lok Sabha seats in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state during the 2014 and 2019 elections.
Among the frontrunners for Patil’s replacement are OBC leaders Jagdish Vishwakarma, who also serves as a state minister, and Purnesh Modi, a three-time assembly member. Modi gained prominence after his defamation suit resulted in the conviction of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi last year. Additionally, Devusinh Chauhan, the Member of Parliament from Kheda and a former minister in Narendra Modi’s previous government, is also under consideration for the post of Gujarat BJP president.
A BJP official disclosed that the final decision regarding the leadership transition will be made by the Central leadership in consultation with the state government.
