Perhaps in its biggest ever rejig, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has expanded its Gujarat cabinet, including 19 new faces, taking the total strength of the cabinet to 26. Former Minister of State (MoS) Harsha Sanghavi has been elevated as deputy chief minister, and cricketer Ravindra Jadeja's wife Rivaba also took oath as minister on Friday.
The ruling BJP has chucked its winning 'no-repeat' policy this time, and six ministers from the previous cabinet have been reinducted. The 182-member Gujarat Assembly can have a maximum of 27 ministers (15 per cent of the strength of the house).
The cabinet restructuring comes two years before the state assembly elections in 2027 and months ahead of the local bodies polls. Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat administered the oath of office and secrecy to all new ministers.
Harsha Sanghavi, the BJP MLA from Majura constituency in Surat, has been elevated as deputy chief minister in the new cabinet. Sanghavi held the position of Minister of State for Home in the previous cabinet. This is the first time a deputy CM has been appointed in the state under the Patel regime.
Sanghavi was first elected to the Gujarat Assembly in the 2012 assembly polls, at the age of 27. He successfully retained the Majura seat in the subsequent elections. Considered a youth icon, Sanghavi rose ranks within the party soon, and is said to be a close aide of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
Despite presence of several senior leaders, the BJP chose Sanghavi as deputy chief minister. The young BJP leader is known for taking tough stance against drug smuggling in the state.
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Six MLAs, including Sanghavi, who were earlier ministers in Patel government till Thursday, have been retained in the reshuffled cabinet. While three of these six - Kanubhai Patel, Rushikesh Patel and Kunvarji Bavalia - were earlier cabinet ministers, Sanghavi, Praful Pansheriya and Purshottam Solanki were MoS.
A surprise entry into the cabinet is that of Rivaba Jadeja who took oath as a Minister of State. Her cricketer husband Ravindra Jadeja and their daughter attended the oath-taking ceremony.
Full list of ministers
- Bhupendra Rajnikant Patel (Chief Minister)
- Harsh Sanghvi
- Dr Jayrambhai Chemabhai Gamit
- Nareshbhai Maganbhai Patel
- Kanubhai Mohanlal Desai
- Trikam Bijal Chhanga
- Swarupji Sardarji Thakor
- Pravenkumar Mali
- Rushikesh Ganeshbhai Patel
- P.C. Baranda
- Darshana M. Vaghela
- Kaushik Kantibhai Vekariya
- Parshottambhai O. Solanki
- Jitendrabhai Savjibhai Vaghani
- Ramanbhai Bhikhabhai Solanki
- Kamleshbhai Rameshbhai Patel
- Sanjaysinh Rajaysinh Mahida
- Rameshbhai Bhurabhai Katara
- Manisha Rajivbhai Vakil
- Ishwarsinh Thakorbhai Patel
- Praful Panseriya
- Kantratalal Shivalal Amrutia
- Kunwarjibhai Mohanbhai Bavaliya
- Rivaba Ravindrasinh Jadeja
- Arjunbhai Devabhai Modhwadia
- Dr Pradyuman Vaja
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