Vijay Rupani sworn in as Chief Minister of Gujarat

Along with Mr. Rupani and Mr. Nitin Patel, a total of 19 Ministers — nine of them in the Cabinet rank and 10 Ministers of State (MoS)— were sworn in.

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani with Governor O.P. Kohli during swearing-in ceremony in Gandhinagar on Tuesday.

Vijay Rupani was on Tuesday sworn in as the 16th Chief Minister of Gujarat along with 19 Ministers, including Nitin Patel, Deputy Chief Minister, after the BJP’s victory in the recent Assembly elections.

The ruling party won the elections for the sixth consecutive time, though with a reduced tally of seats.

The portfolios of the new Ministers are likely to be allotted on Wednesday before the first Cabinet meeting.

High-profile function

The 20-member Council of Ministers was administered the oath of secrecy and office in a high-profile function in the presence of top leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP patriarch L.K. Advani, party president Amit Shah, top Union Ministers and Chief Ministers from the BJP and NDA-ruled States.

Besides Mr. Rupani and Mr. Patel, other top names sworn in include former State BJP chief RC Faldu, former Minister Kaushik Patel and sitting Ministers such as Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, Dilip Thakor, and Jayesh Radadia.

Vijay Rupani takes oath as Chief Minister of Gujarat in Gandhinagar on Tuesday.

 

Saurabh Patel and Parshottam Solanki, who were dropped from the Ministry when Mr. Rupani became CM in 2016, were re-inducted. Two Ministers Babu Bokhiria and Vallabh Kakadia have been dropped from the Council though they won in the recent Assembly polls.

In the new government, the Chief Minister himself and six other Ministers are from the Saurashtra region, where the ruling party suffered major electoral losses, owing to factors like farm distress and the Patidar agitation. The party has, once again, given a lion’s share to the Patidars with six ministerial berths to the Patidars in the 20-member Ministry.

Among the Minister of State (MoS) rank, 10 Ministers were administered the oath of office by Governor O.P. Kohli. Pradipsinh Jadeja who was Home Minister in the last government is likely to retain the crucial portfolio as he is a trusted aide of Mr. Amit Shah.

Only one woman legislator, Vibhavariben Dave, finds a place in the new Cabinet while one SC legislator Ishwarbhai Parmar and one tribal legislator Ganpat Vasava have been included in the Council with Cabinet rank while Ms. Dave is MoS.

Meanwhile, according to party sources, the Ministry will be expanded with new faces in a few more months.

Cabinet Ministers are Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, R.C Faldu, Kaushik Patel, Saurabh Patel, Ganpat Vasava, Jayesh Radadiya and Ishwarbhai R. Parmar.

MoS are Pradipsinh Jadeja, Parbatbhai Patel, Jaydrathsinh Parmar, Ramanlal Nanubhai Patkar, Parsottam Solanki, Ishwarsinh Patel, Vasanbhai Ahir, Kishor Kanani, Bachubhai Maganbhai Khabad and Vibhavari Dave.