The move is seen as a messaging for the other BJP-ruled states and also at the Centre as the party is looking to appoint a new president, and do reshuffling and changes in both organisation and the Union government.
With sweeping changes in Gujarat for the third time – the home state of both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah – the BJP has once again signalled to its ranks that periodic changes are essential to maintain its winning momentum.
Several other BJP-ruled states, including Uttar Pradesh, where the party has been in power for more than one term, are also due for cabinet reshuffles.
Meanwhile in Gujarat, the ministers submitted their resignations at a meeting at the chief minister’s residence as directed by the party leadership. Patel is scheduled to meet the governor in the evening to apprise him of the development, while the new inductees are expected to be informed later in the night.
More than half of the current ministers are likely to be dropped, while a few ministers of state may be elevated to cabinet rank. Around 18 new faces are expected to be inducted, with the cabinet likely to expand to its full strength of 27 members.The reshuffle follows a meeting in Delhi where BJP president J P Nadda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Water Resources Minister C R Patil finalised the decisions. It also comes after the appointment of state BJP president Jagdish Vishwakarma, who may now step down from his ministerial role to focus on party work.The cabinet overhaul comes ahead of panchayat elections early next year and the assembly polls in 2027. Patel began his second term as chief minister after the 2022 elections with one of the smallest cabinets, and speculation over a major expansion has been growing for months.
Bhupendra Patel began his second term after the 2022 polls with one of Gujarat’s smallest cabinets, and talk of an expansion has been growing since six months into his tenure.
The new cabinet is expected to cater to the regional and caste equations keeping in mind the electoral arithmetic as well as the ambitions of the local satraps.
Several young faces including Rivaba Jadeja and Hardik Patel are expected to make to the new state cabinet.
Renegade Congress leader Arjun Modvadia, who had joined BJP and won Porbandar seat has been waiting for a place in the cabinet for a long time and party insiders maintain that Modvadia may finally be accommodated in the forthcoming expansion. Also expected to make the cut are Jitu Vaghani and Jayesh Radadiya, two Patel heavyweights from Saurashtra.
