Gujarat: Jitu Vaghani likely to stay BJP chief till bypolls, local elections

GANDHINAGAR: Although his term as Gujarat BJP president has been completed, Jitu Vaghani is likely to continue at the post until the state assembly byelections and municipal and panchayat elections are over.
After the BJP leadership changed the presidents of the Delhi, Chhatisgarh and Manipur units after the completion of their terms in the first week of June, there was a buzz in the Gujarat BJP that Jitu Vaghani would be replaced by a new state party president.However, after all three candidates nominated by the BJP won the Rajya Sabha elections, there is talk that Vaghani will continue for a few more months as state party president.
Key sources in the BJP said, “Although only two leaders, PM Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah, can tell for sure whether the state unit will get a new president, considering the fact that crucial elections like the assembly bypolls and municipal corporation, municipality, district and taluka panchayat polls are scheduled, key organisational changes will be done after the elections are completed.”
Sources added that after CM Vijay Rupani completes the third year of his present term, there could be a reshuffle in his cabinet. “Vaghani could be replaced as state party president just ahead of the reshuffle and be given a key cabinet berth,” sources said.
Jitu Vaghani was appointed in August 2016 and became the youngest Gujarat BJP president when the then party president, Vijay Rupani, took over as the chief minister.
Vaghani was a first-time MLA when he took over as the state BJP president. He won the 2017 assembly election with a record margin from Bhavnagar city. He began his political career working as a Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha leader and then was closely associated with the party’s core team for a few years before taking over as state party president. He was appointed state party chief when the Patidar and other caste-based agitations were at their peak.