All eyes are on the upcoming Gujarat assembly elections where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has been in power in the state for 27 years, is seeking a record seventh consecutive term.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi sounded the poll bugle for BJP in his home state by addressing a rally in Valsad district on November 6. That was the first rally of the ruling party after the poll dates were declared in the state
Despite ruling Gujarat for 27 years, BJP is still expected to retain the home of PM Modi. Another thing that is working for the saffron party in the western state is the party’s CM pick– Bhupendra Patel.
Bhupendra Patel, a Patidar leader who replaced Vijay Rupani as Gujarat CM last year, is gradually gaining the trust of the top BJP leadership. However, his elevation to the top in Gujarat raised eyebrows as he did not hold even a ministry before.
Patel, who is also BJP’s CM face in the upcoming assembly elections, is also considered PM Modi’s personal choice to govern his home state. However, the leader’s administrative inexperience was made up by his non-controversial image.
Bhupendra Patel ticks the right boxes
Bhupendra Patel, according to BJP insiders, has commanded BJP’s top leadership’s trust for various reasons.
Patel is not politically assertive which keeps him in the good books of the party’s top brass leaders. Known to be a modest leader, Patel does not antagonise the BJP’s other power centres in Gujarat directly and his Patidar identity also helps with social engineering, reported The Print.
Many call him a rubber stamp of PM Modi which, according to many BJP leaders, which is his biggest strength.
The party leaders have declared if the BJP wins the assembly election in Gujarat next month, Patel will continue to be chief minister of the state.
