States: Gujarat gets its First Women CM
She is an iron lady, perfectly suited to govern the State after Modi. A school teacher who left her job to join politics. the only minister to have served for sixteen years at a stretch handling more than 10 departments successfully, the first Chief Minister who has a gold medal in MSc and also the President's Medal. She is Anandiben Patel, new Chief Minister of Gujarat. After President of India designating NDA leader Narendra Modi as the new Prime Minister of India, the focus shifted to Gujarat, where Chief Minister post got vacant. After Modi formally resigning from the post, she was formally elected as the leader of BJP legislative party. Besides her experience, her performance in various departments, especially education and revenue, has led to her ascendancy in the party. After the formal announcement, in her acceptance speech, the new CM broke down while thanking Narendra Modi and other MLAs. In an emotional speech, Patel said, “I will ensure that Gujarat continues on the path of development.” In all, May 21, 2014 was a very emotional day in Gujarat Assembly, which saw its longest serving CM taking over as the PM and getting a first lady CM. “In Anandiben, we have a dedicated Party Karyakarta with a rich experience in administration. Gujarat will scale new heights in years to come”, Narendra Modi tweeted.
- Anandiben Patel joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1987.
- Since 1998, she has been Member of the Gujarat Assembly, the only woman candidate to be elected as an MLA and the Cabinet Minister for four consecutive terms.
- She has represented Mandal, Patan and the Ghatlodiya constituencies in Gujarat
- She has successfully handled portfolios of education, revenue, urban development, disaster management, roads and buildings.
—Bureau Report
