Gujarat Confidential: ‘Courtesy visit’

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Saturday, amid speculation about the BJP’s new state president. While the meeting was described as a “courtesy visit”, BJP leaders in Gujarat believe the party may finalise the appointment of a new chief by next week. A senior party functionary said, “The new party president will be elected by the way of a democratic process and an official announcement on the same is likely to happen by Monday, where aspiring leaders will be welcomed to submit their nominations… Senior party leader Bhupender Yadav will also arrive to oversee the process. It should be a week before we have a new President to relieve CR Paatil, who is also handling an important Jal Shakti portfolio since 2024.” While the party is likely to welcome nominations from different leaders, a senior leader also said that the “chosen” leader will ultimately be by the mandate of the party. “There are several contenders, including a couple of leaders from Central Gujarat too and it’s likely that this time the president will be from a region of the state that has not seen top leadership from…”