- All Gujarat ministers except CM Bhupendra Patel resign.
- Cabinet reshuffle likely ahead of political changes.
- Harsh Sanghavi, Rushikesh Patel may be retained.
- J.P. Nadda to meet MLAs; new cabinet to be sworn in tomorrow.
- Around 10 new ministers likely to join, replacing half the current ones.
By Kumar Rakesh
In a major political development, all ministers in the Gujarat government, except Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, have tendered their resignations ahead of an anticipated cabinet reshuffle. The Chief Minister has accepted their resignations and is expected to meet Governor Acharya Devvrat later today to form a new cabinet.
According to sources, Ministers Harsh Sanghavi and Rushikesh Patel are likely to retain their positions in the restructured cabinet. BJP national president J.P. Nadda is slated to meet Gujarat MLAs for dinner at Chief Minister Patel’s residence at 8 pm, followed by the Chief Minister’s meeting with the Governor at 9:30 pm to submit the new list of ministers.
The new cabinet is expected to be sworn in tomorrow. Around 10 new faces are likely to be inducted, while nearly half of the current ministers may be replaced. The current council includes 17 ministers—eight cabinet ministers and eight Ministers of State.
Under the state assembly’s provision, Gujarat can have a maximum of 27 ministers, representing 15% of the 182-member House. Earlier this month, Minister of State Jagdish Vishwakarma was appointed BJP’s Gujarat unit president, replacing Union Minister C.R. Paatil.
Bhupendra Patel, who first assumed office in 2021, took oath for his second term on December 12, 2022.
