Mega Guj Cabinet rejig: CM brings 19 fresh faces

In a major reshuffle, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel Friday inducted 19 fresh faces in his council of ministers and retained six from his previous team, including Harsh Sanghavi who was elevated as Deputy CM, while cricketer Ravindra Jadeja's wife Rivaba too made the cut.

- 

With this rejig, the total strength of the council of ministers has now gone up to 26, including the CM, from 17 earlier. Gujarat, which has a 182-member Assembly, can have a maximum of 27 ministers (15 per cent of the strength of the House). The cabinet restructuring took place two years before the state Assembly elections in 2027 and months ahead of the local bodies polls.

Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat administered the oath of office and secrecy to all new ministers and to those who were elevated to the cabinet rank or given the MoS independent charge.

Sanghavi, MLA from Majura constituency in Surat who held the position of Minister of State for Home in the previous cabinet, rose to the number two position of deputy CM. This is for the first time in the last four years under Patel’s term as CM that a deputy CM has been appointed in the state.