No decision on state BJP chief yet

GANDHINAGAR: BJP president Amit Shah, chief minister-designate Vijay Rupani, deputy CM-designate Nitin Rupani, BJP national vice president Parshottam Rupala, senior ministers and party functionaries met and deliberated over the appointment of the next Gujarat BJP president till late in the night on Saturday. They discussed threadbare the pros and cons of various caste-community and regional equations.
The BJP is confused over whether to have a Patidar party president - after the appointment of a Jain, Vijay Rupani as CM and senior Patidar leader Nitin Patel as deputy CM - or whether to appoint an OBC leader, Kshatriya or tribal leader as state unit president.
With the CM appointed being from Saurashtra and deputy CM from North Gujarat, the BJP is considering picking its state unit president from south or central Gujarat.
BJP leaders on Saturday evening had hinted that they would make an announcement on Rupani's successor, but at 9.45pm told mediapersons no name would be declared and the decision could take two more days.
The most talked-about names are education minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, party vice president I K Jadeja, Union ministers Parshottam Rupala and Mansukh Mandaviya, former Union minister Mohan Kundariya, general secretary Bhikhubhai Dalsaniya, vice president Kaushik Patel, general secretary K C Patel, OBC leader and vice President Jaysinh Chauhan, junior minister Shankar Chaudhary and general secretary Shabdasaran Brahmbhatt.
The party's central observer Nitin Gadkari said that the state unit will shortly have a new president.