All Gujarat ministers resign ahead of October 17 Cabinet expansion

A Cabinet expansion in Gujarat is scheduled for Friday (October 17), with around 10 new ministers expected to be inducted into the government led by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.

In a dramatic move, all ministers in the Gujarat government, barring CM Patel, have resigned ahead of the Cabinet reshuffle. A farewell ceremony is expected to be held later in the evening.

At 8 pm, the new ministers are expected to be informed in a party meeting. On Friday, the ceremony will begin at “Vijay Muhurat” at 12.39 pm at Mahatma Mandir, in Gandhinagar, said state minister Rushikesh Patel.

“Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel’s Cabinet will be expanded on Friday at 11.30 am,” said a government release.

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Half of ministers may be replaced

The present Gujarat Cabinet comprises 17 ministers, including CM Patel. Eight are Cabinet-rank ministers, while as many others are Ministers of State (MoS). The Cabinet is reportedly expected to be expanded to 26 or 27 members.

It is anticipated that around half of the current ministers may be replaced in the reshuffle. CM Patel will reportedly submit the resignations to Governor Acharya Devvrat later tonight. The resignations of those being retained will reportedly not be forwarded to the governor.

According to reports, BJP national general secretary (organisation) Sunil Bansal and CM Patel met each minister individually and informed them of the central leadership’s decision before collecting their resignations.

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New faces likely

New faces, including some former Congress leaders who joined the BJP, are expected to be included. Potential new ministers mentioned in media reports include Jayesh Radadiya, Shankar Chaudhary, Arjun Modhwadia, Jitu Vaghani, Reeva Jadeja, and Alpesh Thakor.

There is speculation that some existing MoS, such as Harsh Sanghavi, could be promoted, possibly to the post of Deputy Chief Minister.

Earlier this month, MoS in the Gujarat government, Jagdish Vishwakarma, became the new president of the Bharatiya Janata Party's state unit, replacing Union minister CR Paatil.

Gujarat, which has a 182-member assembly, can have 27 ministers or 15 per cent of the total strength of the House. The expansion is intended to balance regional and caste equations, with the Saurashtra region potentially gaining significant representation.

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Amit Shah, Nadda to attend

Senior BJP leadership, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah and national president JP Nadda, are expected to be present at the ceremony. All BJP MLAs have been asked to be in Gandhinagar by Thursday evening.

Outgoing BJP ministers have been asked to submit their resignation by 3 pm on Thursday, following which a farewell ceremony will be held. The new ministers will be informed in a party meeting at 8 pm.

Bhupendra Patel took oath as Gujarat chief minister for the second time on December 12, 2022.

The reshuffle comes ahead of local body elections and the state assembly elections in 2027.