Bhupendra Patel: The man who is Gujarat's new chief minister
- Published
Bhupendra Patel will be sworn in as chief minister of Gujarat in a grand ceremony
Bhupendra Patel has been sworn in as the chief minister of the western Indian state of Gujarat after the BJP's thumping win in recent elections.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah attended his swearing-in ceremony, held on Monday afternoon in Gandhinagar city.
India's governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been in power in Gujarat since 1998.
They won 156 of the 182 seats in their seventh consecutive term in the state.
Mr Patel took oath at a grand function in the state's capital, along with the new council of ministers.
Who is Mr Patel?
As the election results came in on Friday, BJP supporters set off firecrackers in celebration and showered rose petals on Mr Patel, who has been the state's chief minister since last year.
Elections in Gujarat were held in two phases on 1 and 5 December and led to a record-breaking win for the BJP.
Mr Patel had contested from the Ghatlodia seat in Ahmedabad city and won by a record margin of votes.
PM Modi is set to attend Mr Patel's oath-taking ceremony
The party's victory, he said,, external indicated that the "people of Gujarat have once again put their stamp of approval on the leadership of Narendra Modi and his politics of development".
"It is our duty to ensure that the faith that Narendra Modi has put in us remains intact and that all issues of people, even the smallest ones, are resolved," he added.
The 60-year-old was first appointed as the chief minister of Gujarat by the BJP in a surprise move in September 2021, after the then chief minister of the state, Vijay Rupani, resigned.
At the time, Mr Patel was a first-time legislator with no previous experience in the government, although he had been a long-term member of the municipality.
Reports said he was the top choice for chief minister of both Mr Modi and Mr Shah, whose home state is also Gujarat.
Born in Ahmedabad, the commercial capital of Gujarat, Mr Patel studied civil engineering before joining politics.
He has been associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) - the ideological fountainhead of the BJP and the country's leading Hindu nationalist organisation - since his youth.
PM Modi held a roadshow in Ahmedabad city on Sunday to celebrate his party's victory
Mr Patel is a Patidar - the politically influential farming community that comprises some 20% of Gujarat's population.
Patels have traditionally voted for the BJP, but reports say they were unhappy with the party over what they perceived to be a lack of representation for the community in the government.
Gujarat is a crucial state for the BJP, and Mr Modi's tenure there propelled his run for prime minister.
The recent state elections were seen as a barometer of the party's popularity ahead of the 2024 general elections
Analysts say the decision to name a chief minister from the Patel community, therefore, could be an important step to avoid any electoral setback.
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