All Gujarat ministers, except Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, resigned on Thursday ahead of the anticipated cabinet expansion.
Gujarat, which has a 182-member assembly, can accommodate up to 27 ministers, 15 per cent of the House’s total strength. The Bhupendra Patel-led BJP government is expected to announce the new cabinet lineup on Friday.
CM Patel is all set to expand his cabinet on Friday, October 17. The swearing-in ceremony for the designated ministers will be held at 11.30 a.m. at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar. Governor Acharya Devvratji will administer the oath of office and secrecy to the MLAs during the ceremony.
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According to IANS, at least 10 ministers are likely to be inducted into the Bhupendra Patel cabinet.
BJP President J.P. Nadda, who is arriving in Gujarat this evening, will oversee the cabinet reshuffle. During his visit, he is scheduled to hold a series of meetings with Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, former state BJP president C.R. Paatil, and other senior leaders to discuss the proposed cabinet expansion.
As per the IANS reports, the discussions are expected to focus on the reshuffle in the Gujarat cabinet and other key organisational matters in the state.
Nadda’s visit follows a high-level meeting at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence, where Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Minister C.R. Paatil, and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel held discussions on the impending cabinet changes.
According to party insiders, Nadda’s Gujarat visit is aimed at giving the final nod to the reshuffle and assessing strategies to further strengthen the BJP’s hold in the state.
Currently, the Bhupendra Patel cabinet comprises 17 members, including the Chief Minister, making it one of the smallest in Gujarat’s recent political history.
