Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], October 4 (ANI): Senior BJP leader Jagdish Panchal on Saturday took charge as the Gujarat BJP state president in the presence of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Union Ministers CR Patil and Bhupendra Yadav, and other senior party leaders.

Speaking on the occasion, Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi said, 'BJP's grassroots worker Jagdish Panchal Vishwakarma is set to assume the role of BJP president today. There is a lot of enthusiasm among the people about this. The workers are eagerly waiting to welcome him. Even after taking on the responsibility as the state president of BJP, I am fully confident that he will work together with all the workers of Gujarat as a worker for the development of every class, society, and region of the state...'

Jagdish Panchal, a senior BJP leader from Ahmedabad, has previously served as a Cabinet Minister in the Gujarat government and is considered a strong organisational face of the party.

Meanwhile, in a significant development in Gujarat, the city of Surat is set to host a state-of-the-art PM Ekta Mall (Unity Mall) with an investment of Rs 202 crore, in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Vocal for Local'.

According to the Chief Minister's Office, the initiative is part of the Union Budget 2023-24's nationwide campaign to promote indigenous products and empower local artisans under the broader mission of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

The statement said the Unity Mall in Surat will serve as a flagship centre, providing a national platform for ODOP (One District, One Product), GI-tagged items, and traditional handicrafts from across India.

Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, the state government has allocated land for the project and is facilitating its construction to ensure that artisans and MSMEs gain access to broader markets and new opportunities.

''Vocal for Local' is a national movement spearheaded by the Central Government and actively promoted by NITI Aayog, with the aim of encouraging consumers to prioritise domestically produced goods and services,' the statement read. (ANI)