After the Gujarat BJP’s historic win in the recent assembly elections, Bhupendra Patel will take the oath of office as the state’s next chief minister. As Mr. Patel begins his second term as prime minister, some 25 other members of his government will also be sworn in.
Here are 10 facts about Bhupendra Patel:
- Engineer turned politician – Patel was an engineer until he joined the world of politics.
2. Associated with RSS since youth – He was a member of RSS from a very young age and has been an active member.
3. Contested in the assembly election in 2017 – until standing in the assembly elections from Ghatlodia assembly, he was active in civic politics.
4. Known as BJP’s silent troubleshooter in Gujarat – The 60-year-old is also known for his impressive decision-making power. In just one year, he solved a lot of problems, that too without any publicity.
5. 5th Patidar CM in Gujarat – Anandiben Patel, Keshubhai Patel, Babubhai Patel, and Chimanbhai Patel were among the four Patidars who served as the state’s chief minister before Bhupendra Patel due to the influence of the BJP leader over the Patidar community.
6. Akram Vigyan movement follower – Patel is a supporter of Dada Bhagwan’s Akram Vignan Movement. It is a religious movement that used Jainism as its model.
7. No criminal record against him – As one of the few lawmakers without a criminal record, Patel is praised for his impeccable record. He owns a construction company, which he solely ran from his site office prior to his election as an MLA in 2017.
8. First kadva Patel to become a chief minister – The group holds the widely held notion that Kadavas are descended from Kusha, the god Rama’s son in the Hindu epic Ramayana.
9. Also worked as the chairman of the Ahmedabad urban development authority (AUDA) – While working in the public domain he was also in the office for a brief while.
10. He was a councilor from Thaltej ward – He also served as the concilor from the Thaltej Ward.
