All 16 Gujarat Ministers Resign Ahead of Cabinet Expansion
CM Bhupendra Patel to expand cabinet on Friday; BJP reshuffles team for fresh push.
Gandhinagar: In a major political development, all 16 ministers in the Gujarat cabinet have submitted their resignations ahead of a planned cabinet expansion, BJP sources confirmed on Thursday. The only member not resigning is Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, who will be reshuffling his team on Friday.
An official statement from the state government earlier in the day announced that the cabinet expansion will take place at 11:30 a.m. on Friday.
“Resignations of all 16 ministers have been taken by the party. Only Chief Minister Patel will remain in the current position,” a senior BJP leader said.
The current council of ministers includes 17 members: 8 cabinet ministers and 9 Ministers of State (MoS). With the Gujarat Assembly having 182 members, the state can have up to 27 ministers, as per constitutional limits (15% of the House strength).
The reshuffle comes at a time when the party is preparing its strategy for future elections and reinforcing its state leadership. Earlier this month, Minister of State Jagdish Vishwakarma was appointed as the new Gujarat BJP president, replacing C.R. Paatil, who continues to serve as a Union minister.
Bhupendra Patel has been serving as Chief Minister since December 12, 2022, when he took office for the second consecutive term after the BJP’s sweeping win in the state elections.
Friday’s cabinet expansion is expected to bring in new faces and potentially drop some existing ministers as the BJP looks to re-energize its governance and political approach in the state.
