BJP appoints Bhavnagar MLA Jitendra Vaghani as state president

Vaghani started his political career in ABVP and has over 25 years of experience in politics

Given the mood of Patidar agitation against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the party has decided to go for a young Patidar leader as their Gujarat state president after erstwhile party chief Vijay Rupani assumed charge as the chief minister of Gujarat.

The party has appointed 46-year old Jitendra Vaghani as state president who is member of the legislative assembly of Gujarat from Bhavnagar west seat.

The young Patidar leader from Saurashtra was associated with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) since his childhood and was active member of Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad (ABVP) the student wing of BJP. Vaghani also participated in Bhavnagar University election for senate member in 1992.

He has successfully implemented government and party level activities such as 'Run for Swarnim Gujarat', 'Kranti Gatha' and 'Swami Vivekanand Yuva Vikas Yatra' especially in the last one decade in the Saurashtra region. This is precisely why he is said to be in the good books of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national president Amit Shah.

He had started his political career in ABVP and in over 25 years of his political journey has handled various responsibilities within the party and in government also. Vaghani was first appointed as deputy secretary in Bhavnagar youth BJP and then became president of Gujarat youth BJP in 2003.

Jitendra Vaghani was appointed as director in Gujarat housing board in 1998. At that time Keshubhai Patel was the CM of the state. Under the leadership of Narendra Modi, party had made him state BJP secretary in 2009.

Vaghani had first contested assembly elections in 2007 from Bhavnagar south seat and in 2012, he had fought elections from Bhavnagar west seat. The party also had given a responsibility of Rajkot and Amreli districts as Prabhari.