Gandhinagar (Gujarat): In a clear message of complete overhaul in Gujarat ahead of the 2022 state assembly polls, the BJP on Thursday inducted 24 ministers, including 21 who have become ministers for the first time. With this, the strength of the ministry led by CM Bhupendra Patel, a first-term MLA and minister, has gone up to 25. Former Assembly Speaker Rajendra Trivedi and former state BJP president Jitu Vaghani were also inducted into the cabinet.
The new cabinet that swore in on Thursday is full of surprises as the deputy chief minister post was abolished, none of the sitting ministers found a place and all the ministers except three are fresh faces. Gujarat State BJP President C R Patil has stood by his word of strictly implementing the 'No Repeat' policy in this formation of the cabinet.
During local body elections held in March, Patil announced this 'No Repeat' policy under which all the candidates above 60 years would be dropped and none of the relatives of sitting ministers would be given seats. The freshers will be given preference and the move created a lot of ripples in state BJP. The same policy was implemented when the new cabinet was decided.
The state BJP was sort of maintaining stoic silence about the cabinet leaving the old faces perplexed. They have been approaching former Chief Minister Vijay Rupani with their appeals on Wednesday. But apparently, none of their efforts materialized as all of them including Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel was dropped.
Governor Acharya Devvrat administered the oath to 10 cabinet ministers and 14 ministers of state, including five ministers of state with independent charge. Bhupendra Patel (59), who was sworn in as the 17th chief minister of the state on Monday, was present at the Raj Bhavan ceremony, along with Rupani, whose sudden resignation from the post on Saturday led to the formation of the new ministry.
The following were sworn in as cabinet ministers: Rajendra Trivedi, Jitu Vaghani, Rushikesh Patel, Purnesh Modi, Raghavji Patel, Kanubhai Desai, Kiritsinh Rana, Naresh Patel, Pradip Parmar and Arjunsinh Chauhan. Trivedi, Rana and Raghavji Patel have been ministers earlier. The nine ministers of state are Mukesh Patel, Nimisha Suthar, Arvind Raiyani, Kuber Dindor, Kirtisinh Vaghela, Gajendrasinh Parmar, R C Makwana, Vinod Moradia and Deva Malam.
BJP holding power in Gujarat since 2001 is not ready to take any chances and the state BJP unit has considered all factors which would impact the upcoming elections in December 2022.
Patidar factor in Gujarat politics
Recently, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandavia had said that BJP means Patidar and Patidar means BJP. Khodaldham Trust chairman Naresh Patel created a controversy in recent times by stating that the chief minister should be Patidar. Patidar votes decide the winning prospects in 70 out of 182 seats in Gujarat Assembly. Gujarat's only woman chief minister Anandiben Patel, hailing from the community, tendered her resignation in 2016 partly due to the Patidar protest in 2015. Rupani was brought in to manage the remaining term.
In the last assembly elections in 2017, there was a hue and cry for a Patidar chief minister. Nitin Patel was about to be announced as the chief minister but Amit Shah preferred Vijay Rupani as chief minister at the last moment. Not ready to antagonize the Patidars with one year left to elections, Bhupendra Patel, a Patidar was chosen to be the chief minister. The BJP has given berth to six Patels and OBCs each, four from scheduled tribes, three from scheduled castes, two each from among brahmins and kshatriyas and one member from the Jain community in this new cabinet.
Forerunners of CM post find no place
After Vijay Rupani tendered resignation on Sept. 11, at least five names were projected as forerunners for the CM post. Top front Runners for the CM Post were Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel and state agriculture minister R.C. Faldu, Union ministers Parshottam Rupala and Mansukh Mandaviya. Praful Khoda Patel, the administrator of the union territories of Lakshadweep and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, was also on the list. The names of former Karnataka governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala and Gordhan Zadafia, former home minister during Godra carnage, were also making rounds.
The selection of Bhupendra Patel was a surprise amid all these forerunners. Besides, none of these candidates was even considered into the new cabinet. The post of deputy chief minister was also abolished. Nitin Patel was made deputy chief minister partly to keep Patidars satisfied since the chief minister post was not given to the community earlier. With Bhupendra Patel as chief minister, the need for such a post was not felt this time.
AAP making inroads
For apparent reasons, Congress in Gujarat is a spent force. But the ruling BJP is seeing a new nemesis at the horizon. In recent local body elections, Aam Aadmi Party has won 27 seats in Surat Corporation. The party's presence is also strongly felt across the state as the party is making inroads in Gujarat after Delhi. As of now all eight city corporations are with BJP and local body elections are scheduled for Gandhinagar in October 2021.
The party sensed the anti-incumbency factor brewing especially after the second wave of COVID19. Vijay Rupani was criticized for not handling the pandemic effectively. With AAP trying to gain the position as the third front among the Gujarat people, BJP leadership is in no mood to give any quarter to AAP.
Old faces asked to stay put in constituencies
Another one year left to assembly elections, State BJP President C R Patil has fixed a target of securing all 182 seats. All the old faces including former Chief Minister Vijay Rupani were asked to stay put in their constituencies and strengthen the party at the grass root level. With no choice left, all the ministers have consented to abide by the rules of party high command.
BJP MP from Bharuch Manshuk Vasava, however, pointed out Bharuch was not given any representation in the cabinet. Such neglect will affect BJP prospects in the upcoming elections at Bharuch, he said.
