In a major reshuffle of the Gujarat Cabinet, Majura MLA Harsh Sanghavi was appointed as Deputy Chief Minister, and 25 ministers took oath as part of the Bhupendra Patel led government on October 17 at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar.
Harsh Sanghavi has held the portfolio of Minister of State (MoS) for Home in the last cabinet and is a three-time member of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly, representing the Majura Assembly constituency.
Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat administered the oath to the 25 cabinet inductees. The cabinet strength stands at 26, including Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. The move to bring in new faces to the cabinet comes just three years into the government’s formation, and two years ahead of the 2027 Legislative Assembly elections.
Visnagar MLA Rushikesh Patel, who held the Health, Education, and Law portfolios, Kamrej MLA Praful Pansheriya, MoS Parliamentary Affairs, and Jasdan MLA Kunvarji Bavaliya, who was the Water Resources Minister, were reappointed to the Council of Ministers.
Pardi MLA Kanubhai Desai, who held the Finance, Energy and Petrochemicals portfolio, and Bhavnagar Rural MLA Parshottam Solanki, MoS Fisheries, were also among the reappointed ministers.
Gandevi MLA Naresh Patel, Asarwa MLA and ex-Deputy Mayor of Ahmedabad Darshna Vaghela, Kodinar MLA and ex-Gujarat BJP SC Morch chief Pradyuman Vaja, Morbi MLA Kantilal Amrutiya and Vadodara City MLA Manisha Vakil are the new entrants into the State Cabinet.
Arjun Mondhwadia, MLA from Porbandar, who switched from Congress last year, has also been inducted into the cabinet.
Former Gujarat BJP chief and Bhavnagar MLA Jitu Vaghani, Amreli MLA and BJP’s Deputy chief whip in Assembly, Kaushik Vekariya; Banaskantha MLA Swarupji Thakor, Anjar MLA Trikam Chhanga, Nizar MLA Jayram Gamit, Jamnagar North MLA Rivaba Jadeja; Bhilloda MLA PC Baranda, Dahod MLA Ramesh Katara, Ankleshwar MLA Ishwarsinh Patel, and Deesa MLA Pravin Mali, Borsad MLA Ramanbhai Solanki, Petlad MLA Kamlesh Patel, and Mahudha MLA Sanjay Singh Mahida are also a part of the new cabinet.
Earlier on October 16, all 16 ministers, except CM Bhupendra Patel, resigned. Gujarat can have a maximum of 27 ministers (15 per cent of the 182-member assembly).
Previously, the Gujarat Council of Ministers comprised a total of 17 (including the Chief Minister) Ministers, with eight being cabinet ministers and eight being ministers of state.
(With inputs from ANI)
