Ahmedabad, May 21: Narendra Modi today stepped down as Gujarat chief minister after more than a dozen years at the helm, shortly before his confidante Anandiben Patel was anointed his successor in a misty-eyed transition that would have done her mentor proud.

The revenue minister, whom many call the “iron lady who rarely smiles”, was elected leader of the Gujarat BJP legislature party and would be the state's first woman chief minister.

Tears rolled down her eyes as Patel, a former teacher, began her acceptance speech and her voice choked when she thanked Modi, barely a day after the Prime Minister-elect broke down while addressing NDA MPs in Parliament’s Central Hall.

“I am thankful to the top BJP leaders and our Prime Minister Narendra Modi for selecting a farmer’s daughter like me for such responsibility,” she said, her voice breaking.

The 1941-born minister beat three other contenders to be elected unanimously at the legislature party meeting in Gandhinagar’s Town Hall this afternoon.

Earlier, Modi had driven to the Raj Bhavan to meet governor Kamla Beniwal to hand in his resignation. Later in the evening he met Assembly Speaker Vajubhai Vala to formally step down as an MLA. The legislature party met sometime in between.

Modi said he was not leaving behind a single pending file. “Though I remained busy in campaigning during the election, I used to call officers as soon as I got free at night and finished my work,” he said, addressing the party MLAs after they had elected Patel as his successor.

He fought back tears during his farewell speech to the Assembly. “Forgive me if I have done anything wrong. This is my fourth term as chief minister. As I am going now and don’t know when I will come back here, I want you to forgive me if you have felt that I was not up to the mark in my work or there was any shortcoming in my conduct. Today is the day of forgiveness. I respect you all and this House. I especially thank the Opposition,” Modi said.

Modi also took a dig at the Congress. “After elections, 14 states and six Union territories are now Congress-mukt (free). My Congress friends sent the CBI here and dishonoured tea vendors. That turned into a ‘tea revolution’ as all tea vendors turned against them. This is the power of swabhiman (self respect),” Modi, who often referred to his humble roots in the run-up to the elections, said.