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India's ruling BJP appoints new chief minister for Gujarat state

Xinhua, August 5, 2016 Adjust font size:

India's ruling Bhartiya Janta party (BJP) in western sate of Gujarat on Friday elected Vijay Rupani as the new chief minister and Nitin Patel as his deputy to lead the state.

"The decision to elect new chief minister was taken after long deliberations in the meeting of BJP lawmakers in the state," a BJP official said.

A senior minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet, Nitin Gadkari announced the names after the BJP lawmakers meeting in Gujarat.

"I Congratulate Vijay Rupani and Nitin Patel for being selected by Gujarat BJP MLAs (lawmakers) to lead the state," Gadkari said.

Gujarat is home state of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The top post in the state fell vacant following the outgoing Chief Minister Anandiben Patel's resignation.

Patel on Monday announced her resignation on social networking site - Facebook, saying she was quitting two months before her 75th birthday in accordance with the party's practice of retiring older leaders to give a chance to younger ones.

However, reports said she was upset with interference of BJP president Amit Shah in the state administration.

Patel was handpicked in 2014 by Modi to be Gujarat's first woman chief minister.

The local elections in Gujarat are scheduled to take place next year. The state recently witnessed violent protests by the low-caste Dalit community over a brutal assault on four men believed to be tannery workers by the cow vigilantes while they were trying to skin a dead cow in Una town of Gujarat state.

Last year the upper-caste Patel or Patidar community took to the state's streets demanding quotas in government jobs for the community that otherwise are reserved for disadvantaged groups.

Anandiben was accused of mismanaging both the protest.

Modi ruled Gujarat for more than a decade and pitched his "Gujarat model" of rapid economic growth to voters across India during 2014 general elections.

Analysts say for Modi to secure a second term as India's prime minister, BJP's victory during elections in Gujarat will be an important precursor. Endit