New Delhi, 26 August 2014

Gujarat Assembly Speaker Vajubhai Vala is all set to become new Governor of Karnataka. His appointment has been announced by Rashtrapati Bhawan. He is likely to take oath soon. Vajubhai will hand over his resignation to Deputy Speaker.

BJP leader Kalyan Singh has been appointed Governor of Rajasthan. Chennamaneni Vidyasagar Rao has been appointed Governor of Maharashtra and Mridula Sinha appointed Governor of Goa.

In 1980s BJP had for the first time enjoyed power in Gujarat in municipal corporations with Vajubhai Vala elected as Mayor of Rajkot and Jayendra Pandit as Mayor of Ahmedabad. Vajubhai later also became state party president of BJP and longest serving Finance Minister of Gujarat. Vajubhai is elected as MLA from Rajkot. He was number two senior minister in Narendra Modi ministry prior to his election as Speaker.

His profile(writing through his own office:

INTRODUCTION OF SHRI VAJUBHAI VALA

SHRI VAJUBHAI RUDABHAI VALA

Name: Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala

Date of Birth: 23-01-1938

Educational Qualification: B.Sc., LL.B.

CAREER IN BRIEF

[1] Director, Rajkot Nagarik Sahakari Bank 1971 to 90

[2] Chairman, Rajkot Nagarik Sahakari Bank 1975 to 76

1981 to 82

1987 to 90

[3] Municipal Councillor of Rajkot 1975 to 93

[4] Mayor of Rajkot City 1983 to 88

1991 to 93

[5] M.L.A. of Rajkot-2 Constituency 1985 to 01

2002 till today.

[6] Minister in Gujarat Government

1. Urban Development Minister 1990 to 90

2. Energy, Petrochemicals and Co-operation 1995 to 1996

3. Finance & Energy Minister 1996 to 1997

4. Finance and Revenue Minister 1998 to 2001

5. Finance Minister 2002 to 2005

6. Finance Minister 13-12-2006 to

25-12-2007

7. Finance, Labour & Employment, Transport 04-01-2008 to26-12-2012

[7] 1. Appointed to perform the duties of the 26-12-2012 to 18-1-2013

Speaker of G.L.A.

2. Chosen as the Speaker of G.L.A. 23-1-2013 to 26 August 2014

[8] B.J.P. Party President 1996 to 1998

25-7-05 to 8-11-06

A born leader Mr. Vala entered into public life as a Swayam Sevak of R.S.S. during his school time. Having great leadership qualities, he used to solve the problems of his schoolmates. During his college time he became the Secretary of Gymkhana of his college named Dharmendrasinhji. Since the initial stage of his life, he took leadership to solve the problems of the people.

Mr. Vala, as a leader gives importance to mass contact. He has soft corner for downtrodden and needy people of the society. He always listens their problems patiently and tries his best to solve them. He becomes helpful to them and guide them in all possible ways. He has got a special place in the heart of the people through his generous, modest, affectionate, docile and courteous attitude.

As a public figure Mr. Vala is associated with one of the leading co-operative banks of India Shri Rajkot Nagrik Sahakari Bank since the year 1971 and he has given his efficient service as a Chairman of this leading bank from 1975-76 to 1981-82 and from 1987 to 1990. He is absolutely dedicated to his work and due to his vivacious personality he never losses his temperament. His modest and friendly attitude has popularized him among the members and customers of the bank. He is having profound knowledge of the laws of co-operative society and vast administrative experience, too.

He had been to jail for eleven months during the critical time of year 1975

He was elected as a Councillor of the Ward No.6 of Rajkot city in 1975 and he was a Chairman of Recreation and Social Welfare Committee. He is fond of traditional programme of folklore and folk-music called “Diaras” and he loves to enjoy such programmes till midnight. He has established his special identity among the people of Rajkot through his remarkable work in social, cultural and literary fields. He became Mayor in February-1983 and was elected as an M.L.A. for the first in 1985 from Rajkot-2 constituency.

Mr. Vala did extremely admiring work during the water crisis in the year 1986. As an efficient Mayor and an M.L.A., he vigorously represented the water problems before the State Government and finally did successful arrangements of water from the various Dams near and far from Rajkot. He fought against the crucial situations and kept his promises that he had given to the people of Rajkot that nobody had to leave the city due to water crisis. He has become extremely famous among the people of Rajkot as ‘a solver of water crises.

He was a member of Rajkot Civil Supplies Advisory Committee and Gujarat State Road Transport Authority Committee. Mr. Vala was elected as M.L.A. from Rajkot-2 Constituency for the second time in 1990.

He was as an M.L.A. included as a member in the Budget Committee of Gujarat State Assembly in the year 1985. In 1990, for the first time he became Minister of Urban Development for a short period of time. He showed his profound knowledge and did justice to the portfolio allotted to him.

He was elected as an M.L.A. for the third time by the people of Rajkot City and the people of Gujarat got an able, efficient and hard working Statesman who held the portfolios of ENERGY, PETROCHEMICALS, FINANCE and REVENUE.

He rendered remarkable service as a Revenue Minister and as a Finance Minister during the natural calamities like drought and earthquake.

He again took oath of office and secrecy on 13-12-2006 and was assigned the portfolio of Finance. On 23-2-2007 he presented Budget for twelfth time in the State Assembly and created a record. The other notable point about all those 12 Budgets is that in not a single Budget taxes were enhanced. He has been assigned the charge of Finance, Labour & Employment Department from 4-1-2008. He has broken his own record by presenting the budget for the 18th time on 24-2-2012. He is appointed to perform the duties of the Speaker of Gujarat Legislative Assembly on 26-12-2012. Thereafter on 23-1-2013 he was chosen as the Speaker of Gujarat Legislative Assembly.

During the Empowered Committee meeting on VAT at Delhi he took active part and made efforts to see that businessmen would have to face fewer difficulties on effective implementation of VAT.

He has been awarded THE BEST CITIZENS OF INDIA AWARD 2006 by International Publishing House, New Delhi. In the political & social field, he is the only person of the Gujarat State who has been selected for this award.

Shri Vajubhai has been facilitated with the award “Bharat Gaurav Award” by India International Friendship Society, New Delhi on 9th June, 2007 on the occasion of Economic Growth and National Integration Seminar held at Mumbai.

In Bharatiya Janata Party manifesto a promise was given to the people of Gujarat to abolish Octroi from the State. The Government to implement this promise formed a Committee under the chairmanship of Shri Vajubhai Vala. The Committee had detail discussions with the respective Chamber of Commerce & Industries and with the Mayors / Commissioners of the Municipal Corporations. Thereafter the Government took a historic decision that Octroi would be removed from the Municipal Corporations of the State from 15-11-2007 ( LABHPANCHAM ) to lessen the hardship.

Mr. Vala is having great command over the language due to his habit of deep reading. He understands the presentations of people easily as being a literary person. He is having great efficiency to make a tense situation light through his humorous and jolly nature. He is a man of manifold great characteristics. He can discuss the issues of large public interest with the journalists as well as he can great the kids lovingly.