Anandiben Patel, 1st Woman CM of Gujarat, Gets a New Role; Here's More About New UP Governor

In a major reshuffle, MP Governor and former Chief Minister of Gujarat Anandiben Patel is set to replace Ram Naik as the Governor of Uttar Pradesh.

In a statement released by the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Saturday, the Centre appointed six new Governors in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Nagaland and Tripura. Lal Ji Tandon, who is at present the Governor of Bihar, will replace Patel to become the Governor of Madhya Pradesh. With Patel's appointment, this is the first time that UP will get a woman Governor since it’s inception in 1950. Sarojini Naidu was the first Governor in 1947 but of the United Provinces.

Patel was made the Governor of Madhya Pradesh in January 2018 last year. She replaced Om Prakash Kohli, who had additional charge of the office of MP Governor along with the office of Gujarat Governor.

In August, she also got additional charge of Chhattisgarh following the death of Balramji Dass Tandon.

Patel succeeded Modi as Gujarat Chief Minister after the 2014 Lok Sabha Elections. In 2016, she stepped down from the post on the grounds that she was completing 75 years, which is the age of retirement in BJP.

However, her resignation also came in the wake of the Patidar and Dalit agitation that had rocked the state in 2016, and was seen as a move by the party to placate the community, which constitutes nearly 14% of the state’s population. A beleaguered Patel, pushed to the wall by the series of political protests, had announced that she will step down in a Facebook post, stating that it was time for the “the younger generation gets an opportunity to work”.

She was the second BJP leader from Gujarat, who was appointed as Governor after Vajubhai Vala, who is the current Governor of Karnataka.

Hailing from an agriculturist family in Vijapur in Mehsana district, Patel had joined BJP as the president of party’s women wing in 1986. She was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1994.

In 1998, she became education minister of Gujarat. She retained the portfolio after being re-elected in 2002 from Patan. In 2012, Patel shifted Ghatlodia in Ahmedabad.