Guj CM-designate Bhupendra Patel meets Vijay Rupani ahead of swearing-in ceremony

Ahmedabad

Gujarat's Chief Minister-designate Bhupendra Patel on Mondaycalled on Vijay Rupani, who resigned from the top post last week, 15 monthsahead of the state Assembly polls.

Patel, who is scheduled to take oath as the next CM later in the day, metRupani at the latter's official residence in Gandhinagar in the morning andheld discussions on various issues, a release issued by the state governmentsaid.

After Rupani resigned on Saturday, Patel, who represents Ghatlodia Assemblyseat in Ahmedabad, was unanimously elected as the BJP legislative party leaderon Sunday. Before meeting Rupani, Bhupendra Patel met Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel atthe latter's residence in Ahmedabad.

In the wake of incessant rains causing a flood-like situation in some parts ofJamnagar, Bhupendra Patel instructed the district authorities to make necessaryarrangements to airlift about 35 people stranded in three villages, which havebeen inundated and cut off from other parts of the district, another governmentrelease said.

According to Jamnagar district's disaster management wing, the Indian Air Forcehas been requested to airlift people stranded in some of the villages ofKalavad and Jamnagar talukas.