News Analysis India

Tag: Gujarat cabinet

  • Gujarat: No murmurs of protest from dropped ministers so far

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD: A day after 24 new ministers were administered the oath of office in Gujarat, there has been no visible protest by members of the previous Vijay Rupani-led cabinet.

    None of the ministers in the earlier government found place in the ministry of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel who replaced Rupani two days ago.

    Former ministers have either maintained silence or supported the `no-repeat’ formula adopted by the top BJP leadership.

    Nitin Patel, who was deputy chief minister in the Rupani government, said the party leadership would have taken the decision only after deep deliberations.

    ALSO READ | BJP’s message from Gujarat overhaul: No one indispensable; Quest always to retain popular support

    “This is for the first time in the history of the BJP that such a step has been taken where everybody, including the chief minister, was replaced.

    The party leadership has started this change with Gujarat,” Patel said.

    It will have to be seen how it impacts people, he told reporters.

    The new ministers were his colleagues and he congratulated them, Patel added.

    Though no BJP leader aired resentment over the development, it was apparent that all was not well as the swearing-in ceremony had to be postponed for a day.

    Some senior leaders did express their resentment when they were told that they would not get berth in the new ministry, party sources said.

    But some political observers feel that there is no open protest because those who rebelled against the party in the past, such as former chief minister Keshubhai Patel, did not succeed in making their mark outside the BJP.

    Even leaders like Kuverji Bavalia and Jawahar Chavda who were made ministers in the last government after crossing over from Congress have not protested.

    A senior BJP leader pointed out that the party did very well in the recent local body polls in Gujarat because it gave tickets to new faces.

    The strategy can pay dividends as it nullifies the anti-incumbency factor, he added.

  • Gujarat: Team Rupani blanked out in Bhupendra Patel ministry

    Express News Service

    Gujarat perhaps got its most inexperienced ministry ever on Thursday with as many as 21 of the 24 who took oath of office and secrecy as ministers being first-timers. That the ministry is being led by another first-timer lawmaker Bhupendra Patel indicates that the real power centre has shifted to Delhi.

    Not one representative of the outgoing Rupani government figured in the new ministry, obliquely echoing the Opposition’s charges of incompetence. Applying the no-repeat yardstick to form the new government is fraught with challenges of rebellion, but the BJP appears confident of containing it, smug as it is in the understanding that they owe their position as lawmakers to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vote-catching ability. 

    The first stirrings of resentment came from Mansukh Vasava, BJP’s Lok Sabha member from Baruch. “Baruch district has BJP MLAs but no representation in the new ministry. There is unrest among party workers; it will have consequences,” Vasava warned.  Congratulating the new team, Modi said, “These are outstanding karyakartas who have devoted their lives to public service and spreading our party’s development agenda.”

    BJP general secretary in-charge of Gujarat Bhupendra Yadav said a combination of factors went into deciding the new team. “We wanted to include fresh, young and experienced faces. They may not have ministerial experience but they got enough administrative exposure. The outgoing ministers have loads of experience; their talents will be used to expand the party’s base,” Yadav said.

    As expected, Patidars and OBCs found the biggest representation in the ministry. The new team has seven Patidar ministers, including the CM. Four of them are from Saurashtra, where the BJP did badly in the last elections. It also has two Brahmins, two Kshatriyas, two SCs and four STs. 

    Modi is known for bold decisions and political innovations, said a veteran Gujarat journalist. “In 2005, after taking charge as Gujarat CM, Modi refused to repeat any incumbent in the local body elections. He fielded new faces and that gamble paid off. Ever since, such experiments are carried out in Gujarat first and replicated elsewhere later,” he said. 

    Surprise phone callsLike the CM himself, most of the ministers were surprised to get a phone call from state BJP unit chief C R Patil asking them to attend the swearing-in ceremony

  • First-time ministers under first-time CM: BJP’s Gujarat experiment a template for state polls?

    Express News Service

    GANDHINAGAR: The swearing in of the Bhupendra Patel cabinet on Thursday once again underlined a known fact in political circles. Gujarat has always been used as a laboratory by the RSS and the BJP for their political experiments, and this time was no different. 

    All the newly-inducted ministers are taking up the role for the first time and this mega experiment seems to be a calculated step that has been taken with the upcoming assembly polls of 2022 in mind. 

    The 24 new ministers were administered the oath of office by Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat at Raj Bhavan on Thursday. As mentioned, they are all first-time ministers. 

    The oath-taking ceremony was attended by former chief minister Vijay Rupani, BJP Gujarat unit president CR Patil, former deputy chief minister Nitin Patel and Union minister Bhupendra Yadav among others.

    “Congratulations to all Party colleagues who have taken oath as Ministers in Gujarat Government. These are outstanding Karyakartas who have devoted their lives to public service and spreading our Party’s development agenda. Best wishes for a fruitful tenure ahead” tweeted PM Narendra Modi shortly after the ceremony. 

    ALSO READ | Patidar factor and spotless image: The factors that swung the CM post for Bhupendra Patel 

    Bhupendra Yadav, union minister and senior BJP leader, said a combination of factors influenced the composition of the new council of ministers in Gujarat. “We have included the fresh, young and experienced faces in the new cabinet of Bhupendra Patel. They may not have ministerial experience but they have got enough administrative experience and this will help the government excel in every field. The talent and experience of the former ministers will be used for the expansion of the party’s base,” Yadav said.

    The decision-makers in the BJP have ensured that the delicate balance of caste, region, community, and gender has not been upset. The list of ministers is dominated by a significant number of Patidars and OBCs.

    Like chief minister Bhupendra Patel earlier, most ministers in the new cabinet were surprised when they got a call from state BJP unit chief CR Patil confirming that they were to be sworn in.

    A senior journalist and political analyst from the state said PM Modi is known for his big decisions and innovations in politics.

    “In 2005, after taking charge as the Gujarat chief minister, Narendra Modi flatly refused to field the incumbent members of the local bodies in the elections. He fielded all new faces and that gamble paid off as BJP ended up winning a majority of seats. Since then, this new experiment is carried out first in Gujarat and then in other states,” he said, while requesting anonymity.

    “It is interesting to see how someone with zero ministerial experience has been made the chief minister and given an all-new ministerial council ahead of the 2022 Gujarat state assembly polls. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is confident that he will sail through using his charisma and the high-voltage campaign strategy of Amit Shah,” he added.

    There was at least one unhappy voice. Mansukh Vasava, BJP Lok Sabha MP from Baruch expressed his displeasure over the non-inclusion of any BJP MLA from his region in the new cabinet. Vasava said that all districts of Gujarat had got representation in the council of ministers but not Baruch district.

    “The party has done injustice to Baruch district. Our district has a fair number of BJP MLAs and despite that, there is no representation in the new cabinet. And those districts with no BJP MLA have been given space. There is unrest among the party workers and it will have political consequences in the polls. I am not against the party but it should have been inclusive,” Vasava said.

  • Outstanding karyakartas who devoted their lives to service: PM Narendra Modi on new Gujarat cabinet

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Congratulating the Gujarat ministers sworn in on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded them as outstanding karyakartas who have devoted their lives to public service and spreading the BJP’s development agenda.

    Making amply clear that it is in a mood for a complete overhaul in Gujarat ahead of the 2022 state polls, the BJP on Thursday inducted 24 ministers, including 21 who have become ministers for the first time. With the fresh inductions, the strength of the ministry led by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, a first-term MLA, has gone up to 25.

    Congratulations to all Party colleagues who have taken oath as Ministers in the Gujarat Government. These are outstanding Karyakartas who have devoted their lives to public service and spreading our Party’s development agenda. Best wishes for a fruitful tenure ahead.
    — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 16, 2021
    No minister from the earlier Vijay Rupani-led ministry was inducted.

    Modi tweeted, “Congratulations to all Party colleagues who have taken oath as Ministers in the Gujarat Government. These are outstanding Karyakartas who have devoted their lives to public service and spreading our Party’s development agenda. Best wishes for a fruitful tenure ahead.”

  • Gujarat: 24 ministers sworn in, taking new CM Bhupendra Patel’s cabinet strength to 25

    By PTI

    GANDHINAGAR: Making amply clear that it is in a mood for a complete overhaul in Gujarat ahead of the 2022 state polls, the BJP on Thursday inducted 24 ministers, including 21 who have become ministers for the first time.

    With the fresh inductions, the strength of the ministry led by CM Bhupendra Patel, a first-term MLA and minister, has gone up to 25. Those sworn in at the 1:30 pm Raj Bhavan ceremony include former Assembly Speaker Rajendra Trivedi and former state BJP president Jitu Vaghani.

    No minister from the earlier Vijay Rupani-led ministry was inducted. Governor Acharya Devvrat administered the oath to 10 cabinet ministers and 14 ministers of state, including five ministers of state with independent charge.

    Bhupendra Patel (59), who was sworn in as the 17th chief minister of the state on Monday, was present at the Raj Bhavan ceremony, along with Rupani, whose sudden resignation from the post on Saturday led to the formation of the new ministry.

    The following were sworn in as cabinet ministers: Rajendra Trivedi, Jitu Vaghani, Rushikesh Patel, Purnesh Modi, Raghavji Patel, Kanubhai Desai, Kiritsinh Rana, Naresh Patel, Pradip Parmar and Arjunsinh Chauhan.

    Trivedi, Rana and Raghavji Patel have been ministers earlier. The nine ministers of state are Mukesh Patel, Nimisha Suthar, Arvind Raiyani, Kuber Dindor, Kirtisinh Vaghela, Gajendrasinh Parmar, R C Makwana, Vinod Moradia and Deva Malam.

    Ahead of the swearing-in, there were speculations that senior ministers in the Rupani ministry, like Nitin Patel, Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, Kaushik Patel, Pradeepsinh Jadeja, and R C Faldu may not be included.

    The BJP took the “no-repeat” formula a step further by not inducting any member of the Rupani ministry. Political observers say the BJP expects to make an impact ahead of the 2022 Assembly polls with this new-look ministry.

    After picking Patel, a Patidar community leader as the CM, the BJP has given berth to six Patels and OBCs each, four from scheduled tribes, three from scheduled castes, two each from among brahmins and kshatriyas and one member from the Jain community.

  • Gujarat cabinet reshuffle likely; new ministers to take oath today

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD: New ministers of the Bhupendra Patel government in Gujarat are going to the oath of office and secrecy on Wednesday afternoon, a state BJP spokesperson said.

    The swearing-in ceremony of the new ministers, whose names are not yet declared, will be held after 2 pm in the capital city Gandhinagar, state party spokesperson Yamal Vyas said.

    Patel (59) took over as the Gujarat chief minister on Monday after the sudden resignation of Vijay Rupani on Saturday.

    Only Patel had taken oath that day.

    ​ALSO READ | New Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel takes stock of floods on day 1 in office

    Gujarat BJP in-charge Bhupender Yadav has been holding marathon meetings in Gandhinagar since the last two days to finalise the names of those to be included in the new cabinet.

    There are speculations that Patel would induct many new faces in his cabinet, and several old timers may have to vacate the space for young leaders.

    Patel was unanimously elected the BJP legislature party leader on Sunday and was sworn in as the state’s 17th chief minister by Governor Acharya Devvrat in Gandhinagar on Monday.

    His elevation to the coveted post is being attributed to his closeness to former Gujarat chief minister and current Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel.

    With the state Assembly elections scheduled in December 2022, the BJP is banking on Patel, a Patidar, for poll victory.

    In the 2017 Assembly elections, the BJP won 99 of the 182 seats and the Congress got 77.

  • Gujarat: New cabinet ministers to take oath in two days, says BJP

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD: A day after Bhupendra Patel took over as Gujarat chief minister, BJP sources indicated that the swearing-in of more ministers is likely in the next two days. Only Patel (59) had taken oath on Monday after the sudden resignation of Vijay Rupani on Saturday.

    “Discussions are going on and the swearing-in will take place either Wednesday or Thursday,” Gujarat BJP spokesperson Yamal Vyas told PTI on Tuesday. As per the procedure, the names of ministers will be declared when they take the oath, he said.

    There is speculation in BJP circles on whether Nitin Patel, deputy CM in the Rupani-led ministry, is retained in the new cabinet. There is also talk on the chances of Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, RC Faldu and Kaushik Patel, senior ministers in the Rupani cabinet, being retained.

    ALSO READ| New Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel takes stock of floods on day 1 in office

    Party sources said efforts will be made to accommodate senior leaders in the cabinet as far as possible. Union Home Minister Amit Shah met Patel and state BJP president CR Paatil Monday night before leaving for New Delhi, party sources said.

    Cabinet formation was likely discussed, they added. Patel was unanimously elected BJP legislature party leader on Sunday and was sworn in as the state’s 17th chief minister by Governor Acharya Devvrat in Gandhinagar on Monday.

    Shah was present in the oath-taking ceremony. Patel’s elevation to the coveted post is being attributed to his closeness to former Gujarat chief minister and current Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel. Rupani, the fourth chief minister to demit office in BJP-ruled states during the coronavirus pandemic, completed five years in office on August 7 this year.

    With state Assembly polls scheduled in December 2022, the BJP is banking on Patel, a Patidar, for poll victory. In the 2017 Assembly elections, BJP won 99 of the 182 seats and Congress got 77.