What more, the party also plans a grand celebration to mark the victorious candidate's return to the city.

City BJP general secretary Kanubhai Joshi, while congratulating Rana, however, said, ``Though he has served the city very well and proved to be a capable minister, I have a hunch if he will be given the textile ministry again. We would love if he were given the railway ministry.''

By inducting four ministers from Gujarat in the Union Cabinet, Vajpayee has accepted Keshubhai Patel's influence in the formation of ministry, he claimed.

Welcoming Rana's appointment, even senior BJP Councillor Bakul Patel said, ``It was expected. Given his excellent performance as Minister of Textiles, his inclusion was certain.'' But for a small section who were opposed to Rana and spreading rumours that he would not get a cabinet berth this time round, everyone was certain about his re-induction, he stressed.

President of the Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce Amarnath Dora, who was in all praise for Rana, said,``The chamber will like if Rana is allotted the railway or the civil aviation ministry. But we do not mind if he retains the textile ministry.''

While terming Rana as highly helpful and approachable, Dora claimed that his 13-month tenure as a textile minister had been very satisfactory as far as Surat's trade and industry was concerned. ``The chamber will felicitate Rana for we are very happy and have high expectations from him. Rana is one politician who never neglects his workers and keeps a live rapport with all his acquaintances,'' he added.

Last year when Rana was inducted in the Union Cabinet for the first time, it ended an 18-year-long absence of a Surat representative in the cabinet ministry in the Central government.

Inspired by Deen Dayal Upadhya, Rana joined the Jan Sangh in 1962. He won his first Assembly election in 1975 and was elected thrice as Surat Mayor, however for brief periods. Though he lost Parliamentary elections in 1984 and the Assembly elections the next year, he was elected State BJP president in 1986. He later went on to win five consecutive Parliamentary polls from 1989 to 1999.