Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Thursday headed for a second straight win from the urban constituency of Ghatlodia, where he had taken a comfortable lead of almost 20,000 votes over his nearest rival after five rounds of vote counting.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel tendered his resignation along with his entire cabinet on Friday to pave the way for formation of a new government in the state after the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) landslide victory in the assembly elections.
Patel was administered the oath as the 18th chief minister by Governor Acharya Devvrat at a function held at the Helipad Ground near the new Secretariat.
Patel's name was declared as the leader of the legislative party unanimously at the meeting held at the party's state headquarters 'Kamalam'.
Patel's elevation to the coveted post is being attributed to his closeness to former Gujarat chief minister and current Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel. Both have residences in the same locality in the city.
Patel's elevation and his subsequent projection as chief ministerial face -- he is the first from the Kadva Patidar sub-group to be the chief minister -- is key to BJP's plans to woo the Kadva Patidar community, which some political observers feel, has drifted away from the party.
Patel has never held a ministerial post, just like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was never a minister when he became Gujarat CM 20 years ago.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah and chief ministers of some BJP-ruled states were among those present at the Raj Bhavan ceremony.
Patel will be administered the oath as the 18th chief minister by Governor Acharya Devvrat at a function to be held at the Helipad Ground near the new Secretariat in Gandhinagar at 2 pm.
The party's CM choice came as a surprise for many as the low-profile, first-time legislator was not seen to be among the top contenders for the post.
All Gujarat ministers, except the Chief Minister, resigned a day before the planned cabinet expansion. The expansion is scheduled for Friday.
A dedicated party worker, who made his way up in the state politics from the municipality level, Patel was a surprise choice for the top post when the BJP decided to effect a regime change, replacing the entire ministry a year before the elections.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel changed the venue of his public program in Jamnagar to allow a family to proceed with their daughter's wedding without disruption.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the 'Shaurya Yatra' in Somnath, Gujarat, honouring those who defended the Somnath temple. He also offered prayers and paid tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel batted and bowled at the inauguration of the Swarnim Gujarat MLA Cricket League in Gandhinagar.League', in Gandhinagar, March 17, 2025.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Hemang Joshi has invited Congress MP Rahul Gandhi to join a 'Unity March' passing through Vadodara, Gujarat, organized in honor of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
The recommendation of Ahmedabad as the host city for the 2030 Commonwealth Games (CWG) was a proud moment for Gujarat as well as India, said Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Wednesday.
The BJP protesters, carrying placards and raising slogans, slammed the Congress and its leader, Rahul Gandhi, calling them "traitors" for allegedly tarnishing the nation's image.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel allocated portfolios following a major cabinet reshuffle, with Harsh Sanghavi becoming Deputy CM and receiving Home and Industries. New ministers, including Rivaba Jadeja, were also assigned responsibilities.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that forces opposing the reconstruction of the Somnath temple after independence are still active and that India needs to be vigilant and united to counter them. He highlighted the temple's history of resilience against repeated attacks and emphasized the importance of remembering the sacrifices made to protect it.
Congress, AAP, and Patidar leaders in Gujarat have criticized MNS chief Raj Thackeray for his comments about Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and former Prime Minister Morarji Desai, demanding a ban on his entry to Gujarat and an FIR against him.
Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel on Monday said he was not unhappy with the Bharatiya Janata Party's decision to select Bhupendra Patel as the state's next chief minister, soon after the CM-designate met him at his residence in Ahmedabad in the morning.
'If the BJP seriously addresses employment, examination integrity and systemic corruption, they might salvage their position. Otherwise, they are heading toward serious trouble in 2027.'
Farmers of Gujarat will drag Bharatiya Janata Party leaders out of their houses and thrash them mercilessly if police were to be removed for a day, Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal claimed on Friday.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel reshuffled his cabinet, inducting 19 new ministers and elevating Harsh Sanghavi to Deputy Chief Minister. The swearing-in ceremony took place on Friday, with several existing ministers continuing in their roles.
Bhupendra Patel can never really break free of intervention from New Delhi. But if he can win over the Gujaratis and improve the BJP's tally substantially, he will have proved that he should be taken seriously.
'The BJP will win comfortably if the Congress and AAP fight separately -- though not with 162 seats.' 'But if they form an alliance, it will become a major problem for the BJP. That's precisely why this expansion is happening now.'
'Foreign capital will continue to come directly into India, but companies have realised that GIFT City is a more cost-efficient way of channelling funds.'
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel suspended four engineers of the state's roads and buildings department in connection with the bridge collapse on Mahisagar river in Vadadora district that resulted in 16 deaths.
Thousands of people gathered along the entire route of the funeral procession to give a poignant send-off to the late BJP leader at his hometown, where his mortal remains were flown from Ahmedabad four days after the tragedy.
A father-son duo from Gujarat and a tourist from Surat were among the 26 people killed in a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir. Yatish Parmar and his son Smit were in Kashmir to attend a religious discourse, while Suresh Kalathiya was on vacation with his family. The Gujarat government has expressed condolences and is providing support to the families of the victims.
The death toll in the Mahisagar river bridge collapse in Gujarat's Vadodara district climbed to 19 on Friday after one of the injured persons succumbed to injuries at a hospital, officials said.
The BJP's massive victory will make it hard for the party to derive a criterion for selecting ministers, as the claimants will be many and the berths, few.
Talking to reporters after a meeting of the state cabinet, he said Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and the entire cabinet offered tributes to those who had lost their lives in the June 12 plane crash in Ahmedabad during the meet.
Following the collapse of a bridge over the Mahisagar river, the Gujarat government has approved the construction of a new two-lane bridge with a budget of 212 crore.
Authorities in Gujarat have closed five bridges on the Narmada canals after inspections revealed they were unsafe for vehicular traffic. Heavy vehicles are banned from other bridges, and repairs are ordered for dozens more.
'The BJP's top leadership realised that their cadres are not happy with them, so they changed the ministers and got in new faces.'
'The question for the TMC is not whether it can hold its bastions, but whether it can expand effectively into regions where the BJP already possesses a good ecosystem.'
Vijay Rupani was among 242 persons on board a London-bound Air India flight that crashed into a building of a medical college and hostel in the Meghaninagar area moments after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday afternoon.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel met the family members of Rupani and informed them about the DNA match, state Health Minister Rushikesh Patel said.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances