Gandhinagar: In a major political development ahead of the anticipated cabinet reshuffle, all ministers of the Gujarat government, except Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, submitted their resignations on Thursday. The move paves the way for a fresh expansion of the state cabinet, expected to be announced on Friday.
The current Gujarat cabinet comprises 17 ministers, including CM Patel. Of these, eight hold cabinet-rank positions, while the remaining eight serve as Ministers of State (MoS). Following the resignations, the chief minister remains the sole incumbent minister until the cabinet expansion is formalized.
Sources indicate that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) plans to induct approximately 10 new ministers in the upcoming reshuffle. Senior party leaders have hinted that nearly half of the existing ministers may be replaced, signaling a significant reorganization aimed at strengthening governance and political strategy ahead of the next electoral cycle.
The Gujarat assembly, with its 182-member strength, allows for a maximum of 27 ministers, or 15% of the total assembly seats, under constitutional norms. This gives the state government scope to bring in fresh faces while ensuring representation across regions and communities.
Political analysts suggest that the cabinet expansion could also be an effort to balance internal party equations, reward loyalists, and bring in younger leaders to the forefront. The BJP leadership in Gujarat appears focused on combining administrative efficiency with political pragmatism in the new lineup.
With the resignations formally accepted, all eyes now turn to Friday’s cabinet expansion, which is expected to reshape the state’s political landscape and set the tone for governance priorities over the coming years.