Jagdish Vishwakarma takes charge as 14th Gujarat BJP President

The newly elected state president of Bharatiya Janata Party, Vishwakarma, arrived at the BJP state headquarters, Kamalam, in Gandhinagar at 9.30 am on Saturday after paying respects at Ahmedabad's Camp Hanuman Temple along with Ahmedabad city BJP president Prerak Shah.

Vishwakarma arrived at Kamalam in a rally, where party workers gave him a grand welcome with drums and traditional fanfare. Following the official announcement at Kamalam, he assumed the office of Gujarat BJP State President.

Leading figures present at the swearing-in included MP and Central Election in-charge K Laxman, Gujarat Pradesh in-charge Bhupendra Yadav, outgoing state president C R Patil, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, and organisation general secretary Ratnakar. The official announcement of the new state president’s name was made by the state election committee.

Amid mounting pressure from Patidar and major OBC communities, the Bharatiya Janata Party has appointed Jagdish Vishwakarma as its Gujarat state president — a first for a leader from Ahmedabad city.

For weeks, the party was mired in internal wrangling over the coveted post. Influential Patidar leaders, senior Kshatriya and Brahmin figures, imported Congress turncoats, and dominant OBC groups like Ahirs, Thakors, and Kolis all lobbied the high command. Eventually, the choice settled on Vishwakarma — a trusted organisational face considered neutral, broadly acceptable, and aligned with Delhi’s strategy.

The appointment follows Mayank Nayak’s recent Rajya Sabha nomination from the OBC category, marking yet another nod to OBC representation. Vishwakarma hails from the Panchal community, a relatively smaller group among Gujarat’s 140 OBC castes.

While speculation swirled around Patidar names — a community that has largely dominated the state presidency over the past decade — the high command opted to break the pattern. With Vishwakarma’s elevation, an OBC leader has once again taken the reins, the first since Vajubhai Vala’s tenure.

Political observers see the move as a calibrated balancing act. With a Patidar chief minister and an OBC state president, the party appears to be setting its social equation ahead of the 2026 elections. Both leaders also represent Ahmedabad, underscoring the city’s growing weight in state politics.

Vishwakarma, who showcased his organisational acumen during the Ahmedabad municipal polls, also brings industrial credentials, with strong links to the textile and MSME sectors. His appointment comes at a time when the diamond industry’s clout, and with it, Surat’s political influence, appears to be waning.

Relatively controversy-free, Vishwakarma’s elevation reflects the high command’s preference for a trusted, low-risk leader as the party heads into a crucial electoral cycle.