Who Will Replace Anandiben Patel: BJP Parliamentary Board To Decide Soon

TOP BJP leaders including party president Amit Shah are reaching Gujarat over the next two days to decide on a consensus candidate for Chief Minister Anandiben Patel’s successor. A beleaguered Patel, pushed to the wall by a series of political protests, offered to resign Monday saying it is time “the younger generation gets an opportunity to work”. Assembly elections in Gujarat are due next year and the BJP is on the backfoot in the state, hit by the Patidar quota agitation and the Dalit protests over the flogging of a Dalit family by gau rakshaks for skinning a dead cow in Una. Gujarat BJP president and state minister Vijay Rupani Tuesday said a decision on Anandiben’s wish to step down as Chief Minister and the selection of her successor will take at least “three to four days”. Amit Shah, who is also MLA from Naranpura, is expected to be here Thursday and Friday. Dinesh Sharma, BJP in-charge of Gujarat, and party general secretary V Sathish are to visit Ahmedabad Wednesday and are expected to meet Anandiben and the MLAs to get a sense on who should be the next Chief Minister. “The priority for the party is to pick someone who will be able to take on current challenges in the state, feel the pulse of the people, talk to them and lead the party in the 2017 Assembly elections,” a Gujarat BJP leader said. Party sources said the BJP parliamentary board is likely to meet Wednesday to decide on Anandiben’s resignation offer letter. “If the letter is accepted by the parliamentary board, observers will be appointed to select the new chief ministerial candidate,” the leader said.