In a significant political development, all ministers in the Gujarat government, except Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, have resigned ahead of a major cabinet reshuffle. The Chief Minister has accepted their resignations and is expected to meet Governor Acharya Devvrat later today to form a new cabinet.
The move is seen as part of an administrative overhaul amid key political developments in the state. Sources indicate that only Harsh Sanghavi and Rushikesh Patel are likely to be retained in the new cabinet.
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BJP national president J.P. Nadda will hold a dinner meeting with all Gujarat MLAs at the Chief Minister’s residence at 8 p.m. Following this, around 9:30 p.m., CM Patel is expected to meet Governor Acharya Devvrat to submit the final list of ministers who will be sworn in.
According to party insiders, the Gujarat cabinet, currently consisting of 17 members including the Chief Minister, will be expanded tomorrow. Around 10 new ministers are likely to be inducted, while nearly half of the existing ministers may be replaced. The current cabinet includes eight ministers with cabinet rank and eight Ministers of State.
Under the rules of the Gujarat Assembly, which has 182 members, the state government can appoint up to 27 ministers, constituting 15 percent of the total House strength. Earlier this month, Minister of State Jagdish Vishwakarma was appointed as the new president of the BJP’s Gujarat unit, succeeding Union Minister C.R. Paatil.
Bhupendra Patel, who first assumed office as Chief Minister in 2021, was sworn in for his second term on December 12, 2022.
