All Gujarat ministers resign ahead of Cabinet expansion
What's the story
All ministers in the Gujarat government, except Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, have resigned ahead of a major cabinet reshuffle. The resignations were submitted on Thursday and accepted by CM Patel. He is expected to meet Governor Acharya Devvrat later in the day to stake a claim for a new cabinet formation.
Cabinet expansion
Cabinet likely to be expanded to 22 or 23 members
The current Gujarat cabinet has 17 ministers, including the chief minister. The cabinet is likely to be expanded to 22 or 23 members in the reshuffle, according to News18. A senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader had earlier said that around 10 new ministers would be inducted and nearly half of the present ministers may be replaced.
Oath ceremony
New ministers to take oath on Friday
The new ministers will be administered the oath of office by Governor Devvrat at 11:30am on Friday. Majura MLA Harsh Sanghavi, who was the Minister of State for Home and Sports, will be promoted to Cabinet rank in this reshuffle. Another notable induction is that of first-time MLA Rivaba Jadeja, wife of Indian cricketer Ravindra Jadeja. She will join the Cabinet from Jamnagar. This move is part of BJP's strategy to bring in fresh faces and enhance regional representation.
Cabinet strength
State assembly has total strength of 182 members
The state assembly of Gujarat has a total strength of 182 members, and the state can have up to 27 ministers, or 15% of the total strength of the House. Earlier this month, Minister of State Jagdish Vishwakarma was made president of the Bharatiya Janata Party's Gujarat unit, replacing Union Minister CR Paatil. Bhupendra Patel first became Chief Minister in 2021 and took oath for his second term on December 12, 2022.