Ahmedabad: Political activity has intensified in Gujarat, with speculation rife, after Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel flew to Delhi on Monday to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The meeting comes amid growing buzz about an impending reshuffle or expansion of the Council of Ministers in the Patel-led Gujarat government.

The meeting, reportedly lasting around five hours, included Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Gujarat BJP’s newly appointed state chief Jagdish Vishwakarma, and Organization General Secretary Ratnakar. While no official announcement has been made, further clarity is expected once the party concludes its internal discussions. Political circles are abuzz with possibilities and speculation that a major announcement could come within the next two days, ahead of the Diwali festival, and a new appointee might take oath of office on October 17th. Media reports also suggest that the Cabinet meeting, which is generally held on Wednesday, will take place on Thursday, and some ministers might be asked to resign during that meeting.

It is worth noting that the Bhupendra Patel cabinet has completed over half of its term since the 2022 elections, in which it secured a historic 156-seat victory. The long-pending expansion or reshuffle comes amid low visibility of certain ministers, while others have remained absent from public life or state functions due to their family members being linked to corruption scandals.

One minister reportedly does not attend office or cabinet meetings because both his sons are accused in a scam involving a rural employment scheme linked to construction projects. Another minister has been absent due to poor health. One minister from North Gujarat was found to have links with a Ponzi scam operator. Several ministers are rarely seen outside their constituencies, and two have reportedly given inaccurate assurances regarding important infrastructure projects, contrary to on-ground realities. Notably, BJP’s Lok Sabha candidate for the 2024 general election was trailing by over 24,000 votes in the assembly constituency of a cabinet minister. Media reports suggest such ministers are likely to be dropped from the new cabinet, as it might be the last expansion before the next general assembly elections in 2027.

Furthermore, the Gujarat cabinet comprises 17 ministers, including the Chief Minister. Of these, four are from the Patidar community, while one each belongs to the Jain, Kshatriya, and Brahmin communities. Four ministers are from the OBC (Koli) community, three from other OBC groups, two from the ST community, and one from the SC community. With the anticipated expansion, the number of ministers is likely to rise to 20-25 to ensure wider community and regional representation. The ruling party aims to strike a balance across castes and regions ahead of key political battles in the coming months.

Though the cabinet reshuffle has been rumored for several months, it has not yet taken place. However, with the recent appointment of a new state party chief and the high-level meeting in Delhi, it is now expected to be announced soon. DeshGujarat