Vijay Rupani Sworn In As Gujarat Chief Minister; 9 Previous Ministers Dropped 

Gandhinagar, Aug 7: Vijay Rupani was on Sunday sworn-in as the new Chief Minister of Gujarat while Nitin Patel took oath as Deputy Chief Minister at a grand ceremony attended by top BJP leaders.

Nine ministers from the previous Cabinet, including some considered as loyalists of outgoing Chief Minister Anandiben Patel, have been dropped. Governor O.P. Kohli administered the oath of office and secrecy to 60-year-old Rupani and Patel.

Eight Cabinet-rank ministers, including Nitin Patel, and 16 Ministers of State were also sworn-in. The total size of the Council of Ministers, including the Chief Minister and Deputy CM now stands at 25.

The oath-taking ceremony was held in the presence of top BJP leaders including its president Amit Shah, party veteran L K Advani, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Union Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan. The Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Haryana -- Devendra Fadnavis, Raghubar Das and Manohar Lal Khattar respectively -- were among the other dignitaries present on the occasion.

Former Minister of State for Home Rajnibhai Patel and Women and Child Development Minister Vasuben Trivedi, considered as loyals of the outgoing Chief Minister Anandiben Patel, have been dropped from the new Cabinet. The others who were dropped from Rupani’s Cabinet include Finance Minister Saurabh Patel, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Ramanlal Vora and MoS for Science and Technology Govind Patel. On August 3, Anandiben Patel had submitted her resignation to Governor, after the party’s parliamentary board in Delhi accepted her offer to quit the post. On Friday, the BJP central leadership chose Rupani for the post of the Chief Minister instead of Nitin Patel, who was considered a sure pick for the top job in the poll-bound state.

PM Congratulates Rupani

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today congratulated Vijay Rupani, who was sworn-in as the new Chief Minister of Gujarat, and other members of his team, saying they would continue the development journey of the state. Congrats to @vijayrupanibjp, Nitinbhai Patel & others sworn-in as they begin their innings to continue the development journey of Gujarat, Modi said in a tweet.

In a separate tweet, the Prime Minister also applauded the services of Anandiben Patel who had stepped down from the top post on Wednesday. I applaud the dedicated service of @anandibenpatel, who has been working tirelessly for the people of Gujarat for many years, Modi said.

Rupani was sworn-in as the new Chief Minister, while Nitin Patel took oath as the new Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat at a ceremony in Gandhinagar. Eight Cabinet-rank ministers, including Patel, and 16 Ministers of State were also sworn-in.

Vijay Rupani: From Rangoon-Born RSS Boy To Gujarat Chief Minister

Vijay Rupani, a devoted RSS member since his school days, who keeps a low profile and is known for hard work, today succeeded Anandiben Patel as the Chief Minister of the high-profile Gujarat state. Compared to other contenders for the post, what apparently weighed in favour of the 60-year-old first time MLA, among other things, is his closeness to BJP chief Amit Shah. His elevation to the top post is also seen as a recognition of his Jain community, which was recently accorded minority status by the state government.
Rupani, who wields considerable influence in Saurashtra, a politically significant part of Gujarat, celebrated his birthday on August 2 with his wife and son at their house in Rajkot, his native town. Born in Rangoon (now Yangon, in Myanmar) to Ramniklal Rupani in 1956, he grew up in Rajkot where he joined RSS as a school boy. He pursued BA and then LLB.

As the chairman of the state tourism corporation, he headed Khushbu Gujarat Ki campaign to popularise the state as a tourist destination. As a Rajya Sabha member from 2006-12, he was part of various parliamentary committees on water resources, food, public distribution, public undertaking, among others. He was appointed as the chairman of the Gujarat Municipal Finance Board in 2013. In October 2014, he won the Assembly bypolls from Rajkot West with a good margin after sitting MLA Vajubhai Vala resigned following his appointment as the Governor of Karnataka. On February 19, Rupani became the state BJP chief, replacing R C Faldu.

It was seen as a victory for the Amit Shah faction in the party’s state unit. Rupani, who served as the Transport Minister in Anandiben Patel’s Cabinet cut his teeth into politics in his college days when he joined ABVP, and got involved in the students struggle committee during the Navnirman Andolan of the 1970s. He was among the first to join the students’ agitation on the call given by Jayprakash Narayan and also spent nearly one year in Bhuj and Bhavnagar jails during the Emergency.

Rupani was elected as Rajkot civic body corporator for the first time in 1987, and was later appointed as the president of the city’s BJP unit. Between 1988 and 1996, he served as the chairman of the Standing Committee of Rajkot Corporation and in 1996-97, he became the Mayor. He is also recognised for his efforts to develop Rajkot as an industry center in Saurashtra region. Rupani has the distinction of serving as the state BJP’s general secretary four times on the trot. He was also the party spokesperson at the state level. --PTI