Bhopal, Jan 20: The President of India on Friday confirmed the appointment of former Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel as the new Governor of Madhya Pradesh. Patel would takeover the charge from Om Prakash Kohli, the Governor of Gujarat, who was given the additional charge of Madhya Pradesh after its incumbent Governor Ram Naresh Yadav (89) completed his five-year term in September 2017.

Patel, hailing from an agricultural family in Gujarat, went on to become the first woman chief minister of the state. She would be the second ex-minister from Gujarat elevated to the post of Governor, after Vajubhai Vala who was appointed as the Governor of Karnataka.

Patel began her political career in the early 80s', and was appointed the BJP's Gujarat Mahila Morcha president in 1987. She was inducted into the Cabinet for the first time in 2002 by the then CM Narendra Modi.

In 2014, she was appointed as the CM after the BJP won the 2014 parliamentary elections and Modi was chosen as the Prime Minister.

Patel resigned from her post in 2016, following the massive agitation undertaken by the Dalit and Patidar communities in Gujarat. The BJP, however, maintains that Anandiben resigned because she reached the age of 75, and wanted to maintain a distance from public life. She was succeeded by Rajkot West legislator Vijay Rupani.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 20, 2018 09:32 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).