In a major political reshuffle ahead of the 2027 Gujarat Assembly elections, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Friday inducted 19 new ministers into his council and retained six from his previous team. Harsh Sanghavi, a key BJP leader and MLA from Majura in Surat, was elevated as Deputy Chief Minister — marking the first appointment to the post since 2021.
The new cabinet, administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Acharya Devvrat, now comprises 26 members including the CM. Gujarat, with a 182-member Assembly, can have up to 27 ministers. The reshuffle comes two years before the next state elections and months ahead of crucial local body polls.
Among the fresh inductees is Rivaba Jadeja, wife of Indian cricketer Ravindra Jadeja, who took oath as Minister of State. Her husband and daughter were present at the ceremony.
Several experienced leaders also made a return, including Jitu Vaghani, Manisha Vakil, Ishwarsinh Patel, and Naresh Patel. Arjun Modhwadia, former Gujarat Congress president and opposition leader who joined the BJP in March 2024, was inducted as a Cabinet Minister.
The new council includes nine Cabinet Ministers, three Ministers of State with independent charge, and 13 Ministers of State. The representation of women has also increased, with three women now part of the council compared to one earlier.
The reshuffle saw the exit of ten ministers, including senior leaders like Balwantsinh Rajput, Raghavji Patel, Bhanuben Babariya, and Mulu Bera. The reorganisation follows the BJP’s “one person, one post” principle, with MoS Jagdish Vishwakarma excluded after taking charge as state party president.
Bhupendra Patel, who began his second term as Chief Minister on December 12, 2022, has signaled a strong, youth-focused and gender-inclusive team to steer Gujarat into the 2027 polls.
