Gujarat Cabinet Reshuffle: Harsh Sanghavi Elevated to Deputy CM, Cricketer Jadeja's Wife Among New Ministers

The Gujarat cabinet witnessed a significant reshuffle on Friday as Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel inducted 19 new ministers, expanding his council to a total of 26 members.

In a ceremony held at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar, Governor Acharya Devvrat administered the oath of office to the newly appointed and elevated ministers.

A key highlight of the reshuffle was the elevation of Harsh Sanghavi, the two-term MLA from Surat's Majura constituency, to the position of Deputy Chief Minister. Sanghavi, who previously served as Minister of State for Home, has been recognized as one of the party's rising young leaders.

The cabinet reorganization came after all 16 ministers in the Patel administration submitted their resignations on Thursday. However, the Chief Minister retained six of them in the new lineup - Kanubhai Patel, Rushikesh Patel, Kunvarji Bavalia, Harsh Sanghavi, Praful Pansheriya, and Purshottam Solanki.

Only Sanghavi and Pansheriya took fresh oaths during Friday's ceremony, with the latter now holding the position of Minister of State with independent charge.

The revamped cabinet features both new and returning faces, including Jitu Vaghani, Arjun Modhwadia, and Manisha Vakil. However, the appointment generating the most interest is that of Rivaba Jadeja, BJP MLA from Jamnagar North and wife of Indian cricket star Ravindra Jadeja, who has been sworn in as a Minister of State.

This cabinet reshuffle follows the recent appointment of Jagdish Vishwakarma as the new state BJP president and appears to be part of the party's strategy to strengthen its position across Gujarat.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, who assumed office in September 2021 following Vijay Rupani's resignation, continues to enjoy strong support from the BJP's central leadership.