Hardik Patel slams BJP, says Constitution does not allow party to chose new CM

Udaipur, Aug 06 (ANI): A day after Vijay Rupani was appointed as Gujarat's Chief Minister, Patidar community leader Hardik Patel criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stating that a chief minister is elected by MLAs and not the party high command. He said that there is no provision in the Indian Constitution which allows a party to elect new chief minister. "First of all, MLAs elect Chief Minister and there is no provision in the Constitution which allows a party high command to choose the new Chief Minister. So how can they do it?" Patel told ANI here. When asked about their future course of events regarding the Patel reservation agitation, he said that their demand would remain same irrespective of the new chief minister. "We will only support the chief minister who is focused towards development of the state as well as castes and communities of the state," he told ANI. BJP state unit chief Vijay Rupani was appointed as the new Chief Minister of Gujarat while Health Minister Nitin Patel was appointed as the Deputy Chief Minister yesterday. In a crucial meeting attended by BJP chief Amit Shah and Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari at the party headquarters in the state, the decision to make Rupani as the next Chief Minister was announced. Earlier, the BJP central leadership made it clear that a state MLA would be assigned the job. Anandiben Patel had tendered her resignation to the Governor on Wednesday. Governor O.P. Kohli has asked her to continue as the care taker chief minster till the alternate arrangement. (ANI)