Months after finishing his time period as a Rajya Sabha member in 2012, Rupani was appointed because the Gujarat Municipal Finance Board (GMFB) chairman by the then Narendra Modi-led authorities within the state. Rupani, who was the Gujarat BJP common secretary, later performed a key position within the occasion’s success within the 2014 Lok Sabha elections within the state via his organisational abilities, particularly within the Saurashtra area.
Just a few months later, Rupani, a resident of Rajkot who began his political innings by becoming a member of the RSS’ college students wing ABVP in 1973, shifted his focus to Junagadh, the place he helped the BJP wrest the native civil physique from the Congress. This was the one municipal company in Gujarat that was then dominated by the Congress. This resounding victory boosted his standing within the saffron occasion additional.
In fast succession got here Rupani’s likelihood to struggle the Meeting election as Vaju Vala resigned from Rajkot (west) after being appointed because the Karnataka governor. In that October 2014 bypoll, Rupani, a former stockbroker who had additionally served because the Saurashtra-Kutch Inventory Change Restricted chairman, scored a simple victory and was quickly inducted because the water provide minister within the cupboard of Anandiben Patel, who had succeeded Modi as Gujarat CM in Might 2014 when the latter turned the PM.
With Hardik Patel launching the Patidar quota stir in July 2015, the BJP dispensation turned the goal of standard protests not seen by the occasion earlier. All through this turbulent interval, Rupani’s inventory continued to rise. He was appointed the state BJP president in February 2016. And when Anandiben needed to ultimately step down, Rupani was chosen as her successor on August 8, 2016.
Because the CM, Rupani led the rescue and rehabilitation efforts in north Gujarat flash floods in July 2017. Nonetheless, his largest take a look at awaited him in December that 12 months because the BJP went to Meeting polls at a time when the quota stir was nonetheless raging. The occasion did undergo scars however Rupani managed to assist the occasion win sufficient seats to retain energy within the December 2017 Meeting polls.
Rupani’s four-year tenure in his second time period because the CM handed with none main controversy, with the BJP profitable all 26 Lok Sabha seats within the state in 2019 for the second consecutive time. It additionally noticed the BJP retaining all eight municipal companies within the civic polls. Within the subsequent taluka and district panchayat polls additionally, the BJP regained the bottom it had misplaced to the Congress 5 years in the past.
Whereas Rupani’s elimination because the CM in September final 12 months did anguish his supporters and occasion staff near him, particularly in Rajkot, he placed on a courageous face saying he resigned with none hesitation and that solely the BJP staff from Rajkot might do this. Along with his sudden elimination because the CM spawning varied conspiracy theories, Rupani lately instructed The Indian Specific that he resigned inside hours of being requested by the BJP excessive command to take action and that he had neither requested for the rationale nor was he given one.
He views his present position because the BJP’s Punjab in-charge as a chance to show his value to his occasion once more. The BJP might win solely two seats within the Punjab Meeting elections early this 12 months, even because the occasion’s previous ally Shiromani Akali Dal broke up with it final 12 months.