Harsh Sanghavi is new Dy CM as Gujarat gets major cabinet overhaul

Gandhinagar: In a major reshuffle of the Gujarat cabinet, senior BJP leader Harsh Sanghavi was on Friday sworn in as the new Deputy Chief Minister.

The oath-taking ceremony was held at the Mahatma Mandir here, where 25 ministers were inducted into Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel’s new cabinet.

Governor Acharya Devvrat administered the oath of office and secrecy to the newly appointed ministers.

The new council of ministers comprises 5 Cabinet Ministers, 3 Ministers of State (Independent Charge), and 12 Ministers of State.

This is the largest reshuffle of the Gujarat cabinet since 2021. As many as nine ministers from the previous cabinet have been dropped, while seven have been retained.

Among the notable inclusions is Rivaba Jadeja, wife of cricketer Ravindra Jadeja, who makes her debut as a Minister of State. Another significant addition is Arjun Modhwadia, the former Congress leader who joined the BJP last year — a move seen as part of the BJP’s strategy to strengthen its base in Saurashtra.

The new Cabinet Ministers sworn in are Jitendrabhai Vaghani, Nareshbhai Patel, Modhwadia, Pradyumanbhai Vaja, and Ramanbhai Solanki.

The new ministers of state (independent charge) are Ishwar Singh Patel, Prafulabhai Pansuriya, and Manisha Vakil.

The newly appointed Ministers of State are Kantilal Amritia, Rameshbhai Katara, Darshanbhai Vaghela, Kaushikbhai Vekaria, Pravinkumar Mali, Jayrambhai Gamit, Trikambhai Chhanga, Kamleshbhai Patel, Sanjaysinh Mahida, P.C. Baranda, Swarupji Thakor, as well as Jadeja.

Senior Cabinet Ministers Kanubhai Desai, Rishikeshbhai Patel, Kunwarjibhai Bavaliya, and Purushottambhai Solanki have been retained in the new team.

The reshuffle follows a late-night meeting between Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and BJP President J.P. Nadda, indicating a broader strategic push by the party to rejuvenate the leadership and prepare for the 2027 Assembly elections.

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Nadda, Gujarat BJP chief Jagdish Vishwakarma, Union Ministers Mansukh Mandaviya and C.R. Paatil, MPs, MLAs, senior party leaders, saints, dignitaries, and top state officials, including Chief Secretary Pankaj Joshi, who conducted the proceedings.

All ministers in the previous cabinet had tendered their resignations on Thursday evening, paving the way for this major political reshuffle aimed at bringing in fresh faces and regional balance to the government.

–IANS