The new Gujarat government led by Vijay Rupani would take the oath of office and secrecy at a grand ceremony in Gandhinagar on Tuesday in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and a galaxy of senior BJP leaders and chief ministers of NDA-ruled states.
However, unlike his previous tenure, Rupani in his second innings will be facing a resurgent, aggressive and numerically largest opposition in decades.
The Gujarat Assembly will also have a new Speaker this time around as the incumbent Ramanlal Vora has also lost the election. Two former chief ministers — Shankar Singh Vaghela and Anandiben Patel — also did not contest.
Along with Rupani and his deputy Nitin Patel, several others are also expected to be sworn-in by Governor OP Kohli. Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah, chief ministers of all BJP-ruled states and those governed by NDA allies are expected to attend the ceremony, Gujarat BJP chief Jitu Vaghani said.
He said several Union ministers and senior leaders of the party have also been invited, besides saints and religious leaders of different faiths, Vaghani said.
A file image of the chief minister-elect of Gujarat Vijay Rupani. PTI
Apart from Rupani and Nitin Patel, six to nine Cabinet and around 15 ministers of state are expected to take oath, party sources said.
"Most of the senior leaders who were ministers in the last government are expected to make it to the ministry," sources said.
The names doing the rounds for Cabinet berths are Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, Kaushik Patel, Ganpat Vasava, Dilip Thakor, Babubhai Bokhiria and Pradeepsinh Jadeja.
Some new faces are likely to be inducted as ministers of state.
Six ministers in the previous government lost in the elections. Assembly Speaker Ramanlal Vora too bit the dust.
With 99 MLAs, the BJP has a simple majority in the 182-member Assembly, 16 less than its 2012 tally of 115.
Opposition Congress, which had won 61 seats in 2012, managed to increase its tally to 77. The strength of the Congress and its allies in the new House is 80.
Rupani and Patel were elected as the leader and deputy leader, respectively, of the BJP legislature party at its meeting on December 22.
Published Date: Dec 26, 2017 10:09 am | Updated Date: Dec 26, 2017 10:13 am
Highlights
Narendra Modi reaches Ahmedabad
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently reaching the venue. The prime minister is currently undertaking a roadshow amid a rousing welcome.
Feeling blessed after visiting Panchdev Mahadev temple, tweets Rupani
Rupani to host lunch after swearing-in
According to The Times of India, Vijay Rupani will be hosting luncheon for Narendra Modi and other guests at the Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar.
Vijay Rupani thanked Narendra Modi, Amit Shah after being elected CM
Vijay Rupani's previous administrative experience
A bachelor of law, Rupani was a Rajya Sabha member between 2006 and 2012. It was under him as chairman of the Gujarat Tourism Development Corporation in 2006 that the hugely successful advertisement campaign 'Khushboo Gujarat Ki' featuring megastar Amitabh Bachchan was launched to promote the state as a tourism hotspot. He was the chairman of the Gujarat Municipal Finance Board in 2013.
PTI
Cabinet size to be pegged at under 20 for now
According to The Times of India, Rupani is likely to keep the number of ministers under 20, against the maximum provision of 27 (15 percent of the total number of MLAs). The report added that such a setup will give Rupani the scope for expansion at a later stage.
Replacing Rupani would have sent the wrong message to voters
Rupani was always the front-runner for the CM’s post. Moreover, the BJP knew replacing Rupani at this juncture would send the signal that all is not well. In the recently concluded polls, BJP retained power by winning 99 seats in the 182-member Assembly, while the Congress claimed 77. Six seats went to others, including three Independents.
Rupani promised to look into BJP defeats in key districts
After his election, Rupani said although over 49 percent vote share in the Assembly polls was a "huge achievement" for the BJP in Gujarat, the party would analyse its defeat in districts like Amreli, Gir-Somnath and Morbi, where it lost a majority of seats.
"We will do an analysis of our defeat in districts where we won fewer seats. We will also interact with the local people (to understand the reasons for it)," he said, adding the government will work for all sections without discrimination.
Vijay Rupani managed to win despite anti-incumbency factor
Rupani was made the chief minister in August last year after his predecessor Anandiben Patel resigned in the wake of the growing Dalit unrest in the state after the Una flogging incident a month before, and the Patidar quota agitation, which had begun on a violent note in 2015.
Rupani, who successfully staved off a spirited challenge from the Congress, overcoming the incumbency factor, farm distress, angst and anger over demonetisation and GST in the state with a large population of traders, will have to show his political sinews and sagacity when Narendra Modi bids for a second shot at power in 2019.
PTI
How the BJP zeroed in on Rupani's name
Arun Jaitley had said that the central observers asked the MLAs for names for the posts of the leader and deputy leader of the legislature party, and one of them — Bhupendra Sinh Chudasama — suggested Rupani and Patel. Five other MLAs backed Chudasama's proposal.
The Union minister said he asked the MLAs to come up with more names for the two top posts, but as nobody came forward, Rupani and Patel were declared elected as the leader and deputy leader of the legislature party.
PTI
Rupani's clean image worked in his favour
Though the BJP retained power in the key western state for a record sixth straight term, there was speculation over whether Rupani would continue to hold the post given the party's narrow victory. In the recently-concluded Assembly election, the BJP won 99 seats in the 182-member Assembly, the first time its tally slipped below hundred since 1995, while challenger Congress clocked its best in many years, clinching 77. Rupani's proximity to the top party leadership, his clean and caste neutral image apparently tilted the scales in his favour.
PTI
Rupani was elected BJP legislative party chief on 22 December
Both, Rupani and Patel, were elected unopposed at a meeting of the BJP legislators in the presence of central observers-Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and party general secretary Saroj Pandey. "A proposal to elect Rupani as the leader of the state BJP legislature party and Nitin Patel as the deputy leader of the legislature party has been adopted," Jaitley told a press conference.
PTI
Rupani, a second-term MLA has made a mark as administrator
Though the BJP's tally fell below 100 in a long time, his selection also suggested that the top party leadership wanted continuity before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Though only a second-time MLA, Rupani made a mark as an able administrator.
Rupani, who worked mostly in the party organisation in Gujarat, fought his first Assembly election in 2014, winning a by-election from Rajkot West. This time he won from the same seat with an impressive margin of over 53,000 votes.
PTI
Gujarat Assembly will have a new Speaker
Unlike his previous tenure, Rupani in his second innings will be facing a resurgent, aggressive and numerically largest opposition in decades.
The Gujarat Assembly will also have a new Speaker this time around as the incumbent Ramanlal Vora has also lost the election. Two former chief ministers — Shankar Singh Vaghela and Anandiben Patel — also did not contest.
BJP is looking for a new backward leader to replace Shankar Choudhary
With BJP’s OBC face and Health Minister Shankar Choudhary losing the elections, the BJP is looking for a new backward leader to take his place. The Congress has invested in young leaders like Alpesh Thakor in these elections to mobilise backward communities for future electoral gains.
Similarly, cabinet minister and Dalit leader Atmaram Parmar had lost the elections. The BJP needs to find a suitable replacement for him as well.
Amit Shah reached Ahmedabad on Monday night
Vijay Rupani and his wife Anjali visit Panchdev temple in Gandhinagar ahead of swearing-in
Modi was BJP's face during polls but Rupani steered party machinery in Gujarat
Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the BJP's face in the high-octane election campaign, Rupani, coming from the relatively small Jain community, steered the party machinery in the state, neutralising the incumbency factor against his government and surviving a violent quota stir by the Patidar community, the bedrock of the party's support base.
That he also successfully contained disenchantment with the government over farm distress in some parts of the state, and economic slowdown due to demonetisation and GST roll-out, also stood him in good stead.
Rupani, a low-profile RSS loyalist who has the trust of Amit Shah
Born in Rangoon (now Yangon, Myanmar) Rupani, 61, joined an RSS shakha as a schoolboy, before graduating to the BJP via the Sangh's students wing--the ABVP. His unwavering loyalty to the RSS and proximity to BJP chief Amit Shah apparently helped low-profile Rupani clinch Gujarat's chief ministership for the second time running despite the party's narrow victory in the recently-concluded Assembly polls.
Strength of Congress, allies in the new House is 80
Six ministers in the previous government lost in the recently-concluded Assembly elections. Assembly Speaker Ramanlal Vora too bit the dust. With 99 MLAs, the BJP has a simple majority in the 182-member Assembly, 16 less than its 2012 tally of 115.
Opposition Congress, which had won 61 seats in 2012, managed to increase its tally to 77. The strength of the Congress and its allies in the new House is 80.
Names doing rounds for Cabinet berths Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, Kaushik Patel, Ganpat Vasava, Dilip Thakor, Babubhai Bokhiria and Pradeepsinh Jadeja
Apart from Rupani and Nitin Patel, six to nine Cabinet and around 15 ministers of state are expected to take oath, party sources said.
"Most of the senior leaders who were ministers in the last government are expected to make it to the ministry," sources said.
The names doing the rounds for Cabinet berths are Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, Kaushik Patel, Ganpat Vasava, Dilip Thakor, Babubhai Bokhiria and Pradeepsinh Jadeja.
Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and CMs of all BJP-ruled states to be present
The new Gujarat government led by Vijay Rupani will take the oath of office and secrecy at a grand ceremony in Gandhinagar today in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and a galaxy of senior BJP leaders and chief ministers of NDA-ruled states.
Modi, BJP president Amit Shah, chief ministers of all BJP-ruled states and those governed by NDA allies are expected to attend the ceremony, Gujarat BJP chief Jitu Vaghani said.
10:13 (IST)
Narendra Modi reaches Ahmedabad
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently reaching the venue. The prime minister is currently undertaking a roadshow amid a rousing welcome.
10:10 (IST)
Feeling blessed after visiting Panchdev Mahadev temple, tweets Rupani
10:09 (IST)
Rupani to host lunch after swearing-in
According to The Times of India, Vijay Rupani will be hosting luncheon for Narendra Modi and other guests at the Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar.
10:04 (IST)
Vijay Rupani thanked Narendra Modi, Amit Shah after being elected CM
10:03 (IST)
Vijay Rupani's previous administrative experience
A bachelor of law, Rupani was a Rajya Sabha member between 2006 and 2012. It was under him as chairman of the Gujarat Tourism Development Corporation in 2006 that the hugely successful advertisement campaign 'Khushboo Gujarat Ki' featuring megastar Amitabh Bachchan was launched to promote the state as a tourism hotspot. He was the chairman of the Gujarat Municipal Finance Board in 2013.
PTI
09:59 (IST)
Cabinet size to be pegged at under 20 for now
According to The Times of India, Rupani is likely to keep the number of ministers under 20, against the maximum provision of 27 (15 percent of the total number of MLAs). The report added that such a setup will give Rupani the scope for expansion at a later stage.
09:51 (IST)
Replacing Rupani would have sent the wrong message to voters
Rupani was always the front-runner for the CM’s post. Moreover, the BJP knew replacing Rupani at this juncture would send the signal that all is not well. In the recently concluded polls, BJP retained power by winning 99 seats in the 182-member Assembly, while the Congress claimed 77. Six seats went to others, including three Independents.
09:43 (IST)
Rupani promised to look into BJP defeats in key districts
After his election, Rupani said although over 49 percent vote share in the Assembly polls was a "huge achievement" for the BJP in Gujarat, the party would analyse its defeat in districts like Amreli, Gir-Somnath and Morbi, where it lost a majority of seats.
"We will do an analysis of our defeat in districts where we won fewer seats. We will also interact with the local people (to understand the reasons for it)," he said, adding the government will work for all sections without discrimination.
09:40 (IST)
Vijay Rupani managed to win despite anti-incumbency factor
Rupani was made the chief minister in August last year after his predecessor Anandiben Patel resigned in the wake of the growing Dalit unrest in the state after the Una flogging incident a month before, and the Patidar quota agitation, which had begun on a violent note in 2015.
Rupani, who successfully staved off a spirited challenge from the Congress, overcoming the incumbency factor, farm distress, angst and anger over demonetisation and GST in the state with a large population of traders, will have to show his political sinews and sagacity when Narendra Modi bids for a second shot at power in 2019.
PTI
09:38 (IST)
How the BJP zeroed in on Rupani's name
Arun Jaitley had said that the central observers asked the MLAs for names for the posts of the leader and deputy leader of the legislature party, and one of them — Bhupendra Sinh Chudasama — suggested Rupani and Patel. Five other MLAs backed Chudasama's proposal.
The Union minister said he asked the MLAs to come up with more names for the two top posts, but as nobody came forward, Rupani and Patel were declared elected as the leader and deputy leader of the legislature party.
PTI
09:37 (IST)
Rupani's clean image worked in his favour
Though the BJP retained power in the key western state for a record sixth straight term, there was speculation over whether Rupani would continue to hold the post given the party's narrow victory. In the recently-concluded Assembly election, the BJP won 99 seats in the 182-member Assembly, the first time its tally slipped below hundred since 1995, while challenger Congress clocked its best in many years, clinching 77. Rupani's proximity to the top party leadership, his clean and caste neutral image apparently tilted the scales in his favour.
PTI
09:36 (IST)
Rupani was elected BJP legislative party chief on 22 December
Both, Rupani and Patel, were elected unopposed at a meeting of the BJP legislators in the presence of central observers-Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and party general secretary Saroj Pandey. "A proposal to elect Rupani as the leader of the state BJP legislature party and Nitin Patel as the deputy leader of the legislature party has been adopted," Jaitley told a press conference.
PTI
09:33 (IST)
Rupani, a second-term MLA has made a mark as administrator
Though the BJP's tally fell below 100 in a long time, his selection also suggested that the top party leadership wanted continuity before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Though only a second-time MLA, Rupani made a mark as an able administrator.
Rupani, who worked mostly in the party organisation in Gujarat, fought his first Assembly election in 2014, winning a by-election from Rajkot West. This time he won from the same seat with an impressive margin of over 53,000 votes.
PTI
09:27 (IST)
Gujarat Assembly will have a new Speaker
Unlike his previous tenure, Rupani in his second innings will be facing a resurgent, aggressive and numerically largest opposition in decades.
The Gujarat Assembly will also have a new Speaker this time around as the incumbent Ramanlal Vora has also lost the election. Two former chief ministers — Shankar Singh Vaghela and Anandiben Patel — also did not contest.
09:21 (IST)
BJP is looking for a new backward leader to replace Shankar Choudhary
With BJP’s OBC face and Health Minister Shankar Choudhary losing the elections, the BJP is looking for a new backward leader to take his place. The Congress has invested in young leaders like Alpesh Thakor in these elections to mobilise backward communities for future electoral gains.
Similarly, cabinet minister and Dalit leader Atmaram Parmar had lost the elections. The BJP needs to find a suitable replacement for him as well.
09:19 (IST)
Amit Shah reached Ahmedabad on Monday night
09:14 (IST)
Vijay Rupani and his wife Anjali visit Panchdev temple in Gandhinagar ahead of swearing-in
09:13 (IST)
Modi was BJP's face during polls but Rupani steered party machinery in Gujarat
Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the BJP's face in the high-octane election campaign, Rupani, coming from the relatively small Jain community, steered the party machinery in the state, neutralising the incumbency factor against his government and surviving a violent quota stir by the Patidar community, the bedrock of the party's support base.
That he also successfully contained disenchantment with the government over farm distress in some parts of the state, and economic slowdown due to demonetisation and GST roll-out, also stood him in good stead.
09:06 (IST)
Rupani, a low-profile RSS loyalist who has the trust of Amit Shah
Born in Rangoon (now Yangon, Myanmar) Rupani, 61, joined an RSS shakha as a schoolboy, before graduating to the BJP via the Sangh's students wing--the ABVP. His unwavering loyalty to the RSS and proximity to BJP chief Amit Shah apparently helped low-profile Rupani clinch Gujarat's chief ministership for the second time running despite the party's narrow victory in the recently-concluded Assembly polls.
09:03 (IST)
Strength of Congress, allies in the new House is 80
Six ministers in the previous government lost in the recently-concluded Assembly elections. Assembly Speaker Ramanlal Vora too bit the dust. With 99 MLAs, the BJP has a simple majority in the 182-member Assembly, 16 less than its 2012 tally of 115.
Opposition Congress, which had won 61 seats in 2012, managed to increase its tally to 77. The strength of the Congress and its allies in the new House is 80.
09:01 (IST)
Names doing rounds for Cabinet berths Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, Kaushik Patel, Ganpat Vasava, Dilip Thakor, Babubhai Bokhiria and Pradeepsinh Jadeja
Apart from Rupani and Nitin Patel, six to nine Cabinet and around 15 ministers of state are expected to take oath, party sources said.
"Most of the senior leaders who were ministers in the last government are expected to make it to the ministry," sources said.
The names doing the rounds for Cabinet berths are Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, Kaushik Patel, Ganpat Vasava, Dilip Thakor, Babubhai Bokhiria and Pradeepsinh Jadeja.
09:00 (IST)
Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and CMs of all BJP-ruled states to be present
The new Gujarat government led by Vijay Rupani will take the oath of office and secrecy at a grand ceremony in Gandhinagar today in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and a galaxy of senior BJP leaders and chief ministers of NDA-ruled states.
Modi, BJP president Amit Shah, chief ministers of all BJP-ruled states and those governed by NDA allies are expected to attend the ceremony, Gujarat BJP chief Jitu Vaghani said.