Gandhinagar/New Delhi, July 15 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday greeted Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on his 64th birthday, praising his role in carrying forward the state’s development under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In a post on social media platform X, HM Shah wrote: “Heartfelt birthday wishes to Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. Under the guidance of Prime Minister Modi, you are playing an important role in continuously taking Gujarat’s journey of development forward. I pray to Lord Somnath Mahadev to bless you with good health and a long life.”

Patel, who was born on July 15, 1962, in Ahmedabad, has served as Gujarat’s 17th Chief Minister since September 2021.

He was sworn in for a second consecutive term in December 2022 after the Bharatiya Janata Party secured a record victory in the Gujarat Assembly elections.

A civil engineer by qualification, CM Patel earned a diploma from Government Polytechnic in Ahmedabad before entering public life.

He began his political career through local self-government institutions in Ahmedabad, serving in municipal bodies before becoming a corporator in the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.

He later chaired the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority and was elected to the Gujarat Legislative Assembly from the Ghatlodia constituency in 2017, retaining the seat in the 2022 Assembly elections.

Since assuming office as Chief Minister, Patel has overseen the implementation of several infrastructure, industrial investment and governance initiatives in the state.

His tenure has also seen Gujarat continue to attract investments in sectors including semiconductors, manufacturing and renewable energy, while the government has advanced projects related to urban infrastructure, transport and digital governance.

CM Patel has generally maintained a low public profile compared with some of his predecessors, with much of his political career rooted in organisational and municipal administration before taking over the state’s top executive post.

He remains the MLA from Ghatlodia, one of Gujarat’s prominent Assembly constituencies, and continues to lead the state government in his second consecutive term.

–IANS

mys/dpb