JOIN USThe BJP parliamentary board on Wednesday accepted the resignation of Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel, but indicated that party chief Amit Shah will not replace her.
Briefing reporters on the meeting which was held at the prime minister’s residence at
7 RCR, senior Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu dismissed rumours that Shah, who continues to be an MLA, himself was in line for the top job in his home state.
“Amit Shah will remain BJP president and will decide on the new CM. The party wants him to lead us in national politics,” Naidu said.
Naidu said Patel’s replacement will be from among MLAs and insisted that no names for the chief minister’s post were discussed during the parliamentary board meeting chaired by Amit Shah and attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior leaders, including Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj and Naidu himself.
He said, “Anandiben Patel had wished to be relieved of her responsibility as she would turn 75 soon. She has set a great precedent for lakhs of party workers. The board put on record her very good work as chief minister and as a minister earlier.”
DH News Service