Over the last decade, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi has gone from strength to strength. But the ministers he picked haven't had the same luck.
In the last assembly election in the state, as many eight ministers in the 25-member cabinet failed to get re-elected. The list
included Kaushik Patel (revenue), Bhupendrasinh Chudasama (agriculture) and IK Jadeja (urban development and road and building).
Even when the BJP scored a sweeping victory in 2002, riding the strong Hidutva wave in the wake of communal riots, a dozen ministers in the outgoing cabinet lost.
The losers included former chief minister and then industries minister Suresh Mehta from Mandavi in Kutch, Purushottam Rupala from Amreli, irrigation minister Babubhai Bokhiria, finance minister Nitin Patel and social justice and empowerment minister and prominent Dalit leader Fakirbhai Waghela.
This time too, several ministers are on shaky grounds.
Two powerful ministers who are close to the chief minister —Anandiben Patel and Saurabh Patel -- have changed their constituencies apparently because they were not sure of winning.