Gujarat cabinet expansion: 16 ministers resign ahead of reshuffle

In a major political development, all 16 ministers in the Gujarat cabinet, except Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, have submitted their resignations on October 16, ahead of a planned cabinet expansion. The move comes just a day before the much-anticipated reshuffle, which is set to take place tomorrow.

According to BJP sources, the party has accepted the resignations of the ministers. "Resignations of all the 16 ministers have been taken by the party. Except for Chief Minister Patel, all the ministers have resigned," said a source within the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The official cabinet expansion will take place at 11.30 am on October 17, as confirmed by an official release. The current Gujarat cabinet, which includes 17 members, consists of 8 cabinet-rank ministers and 9 Ministers of State (MoS). The state’s assembly, with 182 members, can accommodate up to 27 ministers, which is 15 percent of the total strength of the House.

As part of the reshuffle, around 10 new ministers are expected to be inducted into the cabinet. Additionally, nearly half of the existing ministers are likely to be replaced. This reshuffle marks a significant step in the political landscape of Gujarat, as the state looks toward a new phase under Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.

Earlier this month, Jagdish Vishwakarma, the Minister of State, was appointed the new president of the Gujarat unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party, taking over from Union Minister CR Paatil. Bhupendra Patel had taken office as Chief Minister of Gujarat for his second term on December 12, 2022.