24-min swearing-in event: Not one face from Rupani govt

In a major overhaul ahead of next year’s Gujarat Assembly elections, the BJP on Thursday inducted 24 ministers, including 21 who have become ministers for the first time, into the Bhupendra Patel-led ministry.

With the fresh inductions, which include two women, the strength of the ministry led by Patel, a first-term MLA and minister, has gone up to 25. No minister from the earlier Vijay Rupani-led ministry was inducted.

Governor Acharya Devvrat administered the oath to 10 cabinet ministers and 14 ministers of state, including five ministers of state with independent charge.

Those sworn in include former Assembly Speaker Rajendra Trivedi and former state BJP president Jitu Vaghani. The ministry formation exercise shows that the party has tried to balance caste and regional representation.

After picking Patel, a Patidar community leader as the CM, the BJP has given berth to six Patidars and OBCs each, four from scheduled tribes, three from scheduled castes, two each from among Brahmins and Kshatriyas and one member from the Jain community.

Like the CM, who is considered close to Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, the new cabinet minister Rishikesh Patel and minister of state with independent charge Jagdish Panchal, are also considered close to the former Gujarat CM. Cabinet ministers Rajendra Trivedi and Kiritsinh Rana are old-timers and considered close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while minister of state Harsh Sanghvi is known to be close to state BJP president CR Paatil.

Bhupendra Patel (59), who was sworn in as the 17th chief minister of the state on Monday, was present at the Raj Bhavan ceremony, along with Rupani, whose sudden resignation from the post on Saturday led to the formation of the new ministry.