"Will accept whatever role BJP assigns me..." Hardik Patel on Gujarat cabinet berth
Dec 10, 2022
Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], December 10 : As Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) registered a landslide victory in Gujarat Assembly polls, the newly-elected party MLA Hardik Patel on Saturday said he served as a "mere soldier" and will accept whatever responsibility the party assigns him.
"Once again BJP has formed a government in Gujarat. We all believe that the leadership of the party will further strengthen Gujarat. This is to see how Gujarat becomes strong and goes ahead in the next 5-10 years," Patel told reporters.
Asked about whether he will get a cabinet berth, the BJP MLA said, "I do not know, I have played the role of a mere soldier from the beginning. I will accept whatever role the party assigns me."
Patel, who switched from Congress to the BJP this June, contested the polls from his hometown, Viramgam and won by a margin of 51707 votes. The Patidar quota stir leader contested against Congress' Lakha Bharwad and Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Amarsinh Thakore. He got 99,155 votes.
BJP swept the Gujarat Assembly election with a whopping 156 out of the 182 Assembly seats, which is the highest number of seats any party has won after the formation of the state in 1960.
It is now the largest mandate ever in the history of the state. With this win, BJP becomes the second party in the history of the country to have come to power for seven successive terms in a state.
Bhupendra Patel has been elected BJP legislative party leader and will take oath as chief minister of Gujarat for the second time on December 12. Patel, the 60-year-leader who won from Ghotlodia Assembly seat in Ahmedabad district will take oath as chief minister along with other cabinet ministers.
The BJP is all set to form the government for a record straight seventh term in the state.
As per sources, about 20 cabinet ministers will take oath along with Bhupendra Patel on Monday and take charge of their respective departments, the very next day.
Speaking about the likely cabinet, Surat West MLA Purnesh Modi told ANI: "The party's decision in the matter would be cordially welcomed."
The Assembly elections in Gujarat were held in two phases -- on December 1 and 5. The approximate voter turnout in the second phase was 59.11 per cent and in the first 63.14 per cent.
