Congress leader and Nagpur Guardian Minister Nitin Raut said that Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani's resignation from his post shows that the state is slipping away from the BJP.
"It is evident from Vijay Rupani's resignation that Gujarat is slipping away from BJP. Vijay Rupani is not popular enough to win elections and that's why he has to go. Also it is a failure of Modi-Shah duo," he said in a tweet.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut when asked about his opinion on Rupani's resignation stated that it was the BJP's "internal matter."
Vijay Rupani on Saturday became the fourth chief minister in BJP-ruled states to put in his papers this year. Earlier, Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa had resigned and two chief ministers in Uttarakhand — Tirath Singh Rawat and Trivendra Singh Rawat — had stepped down.
The unexpected move comes ahead of the assembly election in PM Modi’s home state early next year. Assembly polls in the state are scheduled to take place in 2022.
Rupani took charge as the Chief Minister of Gujarat on August 7, 2016. He currently represents Gujarat's Rajkot West as MLA. In the 2017 state election, the BJP won 99 of the state's 182 Assembly seats, Congress got 77 seats.
The name of the new Gujarat Chief Minister is set to be finalised at today's Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) legislative party meet in Gandhinagar, said Yamal Vyas, party's spokesperson.
After the meet, the elected leader is likely to meet state Governor Acharya Devvrat, he added.
This comes a day after Vijay Rupani submitted his resignation from the post of Chief Minister of Gujarat. The meeting, which will be held at the party's headquarters Shree Kamalam in Gandhinagar, will be attended by state BJP chief CR Paatil and three central observers including Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi, Narendra Singh Tomar and BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh.
"Today, the legislative party meeting will be held at Shree Kamalam. Our president CR Paatil and three central observers will remain present in the meet. The meeting will be held to decide the next Chief Minister of the state. It is obvious that Chief Minister will be decided today itself," Vyas told reporters here.
He further stated that after the meet, the CM designate is likely to meet Governor today. "However, it will be up to the leader when the leader wants to take the oath. The party leadership will decide accordingly," he added.
