A reshuffle of the Gujarat cabinet will take place tomorrow, and oath-taking will be held at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel is set to induct new ministers into his council, the first reshuffle of his cabinet after the 2022 state assembly polls. The swearing-in ceremony will be attended by Governor Acharya Devvrat, who will administer the oath of office and secrecy to the new cabinet ministers. The expansion is to see fresh faces and also maintain a regional-caste balance in the state government.
The development is believed to be part of the BJP’s efforts to increase its political clout in Gujarat ahead of the challenges and elections. The decision by the government to add more ministers before Diwali is seen as politically symbolic as well as strategically timed to revive the sagging spirits of party workers. About 14 to 16 ministers are likely to be inducted, a mix of seasoned leaders and first-time MLAs, an official here told IANS. The party is likely to ensure representation from key regions, including Saurashtra, North Gujarat and tribal areas that dominate its political history.
All BJP MLAs have been asked to attend a meeting with senior party leaders here before the event. Negotiations are continuing for the final list of ministers, which will remain under wraps until the event itself. There will be a number of current ministers who are retained, and possibly some who should stand aside to make way for new blood. The top brass is reportedly passionate about bringing more women into the cabinet to give it an inclusive look and a feel-good progressive image.
Security has been tightened and logistics are in place at the venue, Mahatma Mandir, for the massive function, where, with politicians, bureaucrats will be joined by party workers. The expansion is likely to send a strong signal on the rejuvenated pace of development and governance reforms in the second half of Bhupendra Patel’s tenure.
Political watchers see the reshuffle of the cabinet as a well-calculated move by the BJP to keep up the momentum and gear up the state machinery for electoral battles ahead. In an attempt to revive the team and pump life into the administration, the government is trying to consolidate its ground in Gujarat. The new ministers, once sworn in, will receive their portfolios soon after the ceremony, marking the beginning of a new phase in the state’s governance.
