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Gujarat cabinet expansion: A mix of old and new faces; top leaders to be retained
Rivaba Jadeja, the MLA from Jamnagar North and wife of cricketer Ravindra Jadeja, is among the new faces expected to be sworn in.
The new Gujarat cabinet under chief minister Bhupendra Patel will take oath around 12.45 pm at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar on Friday, marking the induction of 26 ministers in one of the biggest reshuffles since 2021.
While the official list is awaited, the names within party circles indicate that the new council will include a mix of experienced legislators and prominent new entrants.
The new council, which takes the strength close to the constitutional limit of 27, is expected to have at least half a dozen first-time ministers. Portfolios are likely to be announced later today after the swearing-in ceremony.
The new council includes seven Patidars including the chief minister, eight OBCs, three SCs, and four STs, along with three women ministers. Saurashtra’s presence has grown sharply, with eight MLAs from the region joining the cabinet, up from five earlier.
Rivaba Jadeja, the MLA from Jamnagar North and wife of cricketer Ravindra Jadeja, is among the new faces expected to be sworn in. Kantilal Amrutiya, the Morbi MLA who had earlier served as a minister and gained national attention during the 2022 bridge collapse for his rescue efforts, is also likely to return to the cabinet.
Arjun Modhwadia, the Porbandar MLA and former Gujarat Congress president who joined the BJP last year, is set to be among the most notable inclusions. Jitubhai Vaghani, MLA from Bhavnagar West and a former education minister, is also being brought back, signalling the leadership’s preference for administrative experience. Darshana Vaghela, MLA from Asarwa (SC), is expected to represent Scheduled Caste constituencies in the new team.
Several ministers from the outgoing cabinet are expected to be retained, including Kanubhai Desai, Harsh Sanghvi, Kunvarji Bavaliya, Balwantsinh Rajput, and Raghavji Patel — all of whom held key portfolios and are seen as steady performers in the government.
The chief minister, who submitted the new list to Governor Acharya Devvrat earlier in the day, is expected to retain key portfolios, including urban development and general administration until the new portfolios are announced.
The cabinet expansion follows the resignation of all 16 ministers on Thursday as part of the formal process before a new council is constituted. The reshuffle is aimed at bringing in regional balance, strengthening social representation and preparing the party for the upcoming local body polls in 2026 and the Assembly elections in 2027.
