Two days after she publicly said on her Facebook page that she would like to be relieved of her duties, Gujarat’s first woman chief minister Anandiben Patel submitted her resignation to Governor O. P. Kohli at latter’s residence in Gandhinagar on Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, her resignation was accepted by the BJP’s parliamentary board in New Delhi.
As per the normal procedure, Kohli asked her to continue till the next chief minister takes charge.
Party’s Gujarat in-charge Dinesh Sharma and state party president Vijay Rupani accompanied her to the Governor's house.
BJP national president Amit Shah, who will come to Gujarat on August 4, will decide the name of the new chief minister. Shah, Sharma and other observers are expected to meet senior party leaders and MLAs before announcing the name.
From New Delhi, Union minister and senior party leader Venkaiah Naidu cleared air about rumours that Shah could be named the chief minister. He said that the parliamentary board wanted him to continue as the national president of the party.
Rupani, considered close to Shah, is one of the frontrunners to the post. Among other contenders are ministers Nitin Patel and Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, Bhikubhia Dalsania, Union minister of state Purshottam Rupala and BJP’s tribal face Ganpat Vasava.
The new chief minister is likely to be announced on August 5.
