Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya today dismissed the rumours that the BJP was planning to make him the chief minister of Gujarat, replacing Vijay Rupani ahead of the 2019 general elections.
Talking to reporters in Vadodara, Mandaviya said he was never in the race for chief minister's post, and the rumours about imminent change of guard in Gujarat were false.
"Vijay Rupani is our chief minister and he will continue to remain the CM. Gujarat will not see any change of leadership. Such rumours are totally false," Mandaviya, a Rajya Sabha member from Gujarat, told reporters.
The buzz about change of leadership in Gujarat ahead of Lok Sabha polls started after Mandaviya was included in the state BJP's committee to handle various affairs related to the coming general elections.
Social media rumours said the party was going to replace Rupani with Mandaviya, currently the Union Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping, Chemicals and Fertilisers.
"I was never in the race to be the chief minister. I am a minister in the Central government and will continue to do my work as the minister," said Mandaviya,
A week ago, deputy chief minister Nitin Patel was compelled to refute the social media grapevine that BJP chief Amit Shah had asked for his resignation.
These reports were false and were aimed at tarnishing his image, Patel had said.
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