CM Bhupendra Patel’s cabinet: OBC and tribal leaders dominate

| Updated: 12 December, 2022 4:24 pm IST

Bhupendra Patel was sworn in as Chief Minister of Gujarat for a second term on Monday afternoon, with prime minister Narendra Modi union ministers Amit Shah, Smriti Irani, and Rajnath Singh, and leaders of states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party, or their allies, in attendance. The BJP claimed a landslide in the prime minister’s state last week, claiming 156 of 182 seats.

Apart from Bhupendra Patel, governor Acharya Devvrat also administered the oath to 16 newly elected MLAs who will from the chief minister’s 2.0 cabinet.

List of ministers sworn in today:

Name Constituency

Bachubhai Khabad Devgadh – Baria
Parshottam Solanki – Bhavnagar (rural)
Harsh Sanghavi – Majura
Jagdish Vishwakarma – Nikol
Rushikesh Patel – Visnagar
Raghavji Patel – Jamnagar (rural)
Balwantsinh Rajput – Sidhpur
Mukeshbhai Zinabhai – Patel Olpad
Kuvarjibhai Narshibhai – Halpati Mandvi (ST)
Kanubhai Desai – Pardi
Kuvarjibhai Bavaliya – Jasdan
Dr Kuber Dindor – Santrampur (ST)
Bhanuben Babariya – Rajkot (rural) (SC)
Mulubhai Bera – Khambalia
Bhikubhai Chatursinh Parmar- Modasa
Praful Panseria – Kamrej

Registering a historic win, BJP scored 156 seats, decimating the Congress (16) and debutants Aam Aadmi Party (five). Bhupendra Patel won Ghatlodia by 1.92 lakh votes.

Bhupendra Patel’s cabinet has a meticulous distribution of caste and region. Among the ministers sworn in today, the highest number of ministers are from the the OBC community. Proportionate representation has been given to Dalit, Adivasi, Jain, Brahmin, Kshatriya communities.

Four Patidar MLAs including Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel have been appointed in the new cabinet. In which Rishikesh Patel, Raghavji Patel and Praful Panseria are included. There are several MLAs from Saurashtra, North Gujarat, Central Gujarat, South Gujarat are given place in Cabinet. Two MLAs from Rajkot and one from Jamnagar are made ministers. Four MLAs from Surat are made ministers. One MLA each from Aravalli, Valsad made Minister. One MLA each from Patan, Mehsana, Mahisagar, Dahod, Ahmedabad in Cabinet

Bhupendra Patel replaced Vijay Rupani last year as the party sought to ward off anti-incumbency. The 60-year-old ‘silent troubleshooter’ led the BJP to a big win ahead of elections in other states in 2023 and the 2024 Lok Sabha election.