Bhupendra Patel takes over as 17th Gujarat CM

Gandhinagar: First-term MLA Bhupendra Patel was on Monday sworn in as the Gujarat Chief Minister, two days after Vijay Rupani's surprise exit from the post, a year ahead of the Assembly polls.

Patel (59), unanimously elected BJP legislature party leader on Sunday, was sworn in as the state's 17th Chief Minister by Governor Acharya Devvrat at a simple ceremony at Raj Bhavan here.

Union Home minister Amit Shah, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar, Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Goa CM Pramod Sawant and Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai were present.

Devvrat and Shah congratulated Patel after the ceremony. Shah was the first to congratulate Patel after he took the oath.

As decided by the party, only Patel took the oath. The Council of Ministers will take oath during the next few days after their names are finalised, BJP sources said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Patel on taking the oath as CM of Gujarat.