Action has intensified in Gandhinagar ahead of Gujarat's cabinet reshuffle on October 17. The Bhupendra Patel-led government, which has been functioning with a cabinet of 17 members, is set for a major overhaul as the BJP prepares to induct fresh faces and broaden representation.
The reshuffle, to be overseen by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda, comes as the party gears up for the 2027 Assembly polls.
Sources have suggested that ministers have been asked to remain in Gandhinagar today and tomorrow, as several of them are likely to tender their resignations by this evening. A series of meetings in the national capital has set the stage for the first major reshuffle in the Patel cabinet. Ahead of the 2027 polls, the state BJP will be looking to test new equations, as the AAP, led by young leader Gopal Italia, continues to make inroads into the Patidar stronghold of the saffron party.
Currently, the Bhupendra Patel cabinet has 17 members, including the Chief Minister, one of the leanest in Gujarat's recent political history. The new expansion is expected to fill around a dozen vacant chambers in the Swarnim Sankul government complex, indicating the likely addition of new faces.
According to sources, ministers Dharmendrasinh, Rishikesh Patel, Mukesh Patel, and Bhupendrasinh Chudasama are likely to retain their posts, while others such as Kanubhai Desai (Finance), Raghavji Patel (Agriculture), Kunvarji Bavaliya (Water Supply), and Murubhai Bera (Tourism) could be dropped.
New entrants to the cabinet may include Jayesh Radadiya, Shankar Chaudhary, Arjun Modhwadia, Jitu Vaghani, Reeva Jadeja, Alpesh Thakor, and others, as the BJP looks to reward both young leaders and OBC-Patidar representation, with the Saurashtra region expected to gain significantly.
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