Gandhinagar, October 16 (Udaipur Kiran): The official announcement of the Gujarat cabinet expansion has been made. The swearing-in ceremony for the new ministers will take place on Friday, October 17, at 11:30 AM at the Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar, in the presence of senior BJP central leaders.
According to a statement issued by the State Information Department, Governor Acharya Devvrat will administer the oath of office and secrecy to the newly appointed ministers during the event. The ceremony marks the much-awaited expansion of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel’s cabinet.
Usually, the state cabinet meets every Wednesday, but the meeting scheduled for October 15 was cancelled in view of the upcoming expansion. The BJP has instructed all its MLAs and ministers to remain present in Gandhinagar for the next two days, with all members directed to arrive by this afternoon.
Party sources confirmed that BJP National General Secretary (Organization) Sunil Bansal will arrive in Gujarat later today, while Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel is expected to return from his Mumbai engagement around 3 PM.
Amid intense political discussions about major reshuffles, Governor Devvrat’s visit to Kurukshetra, Haryana, has been cut short. He was originally scheduled to remain in his hometown till October 16 but will now return early to oversee the oath-taking ceremony.
The reshuffle comes soon after the appointment of Jagdish Vishwakarma as the new Gujarat BJP President, a move that reportedly left some regions — particularly Saurashtra — underrepresented. Following AAP leader Gopal Italia’s recent bypoll victory and his growing influence in the Saurashtra belt, the BJP is likely to increase representation from the region in the new cabinet.
Meanwhile, reports of discontent among senior BJP leaders have also emerged. Sources indicate that a few of them may be considering switching sides to the Aam Aadmi Party, prompting the BJP high command to take pre-emptive steps. The party is expected to bring back influential and experienced leaders into key positions to ensure unity and strengthen its base ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
It is worth noting that in 2021, the entire Gujarat cabinet, including then-Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, was replaced in a surprise move by the BJP high command. Following Rupani’s resignation, Bhupendra Patel was appointed Chief Minister and later led the party to a historic victory in the 2022 Assembly elections, securing 156 seats.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.