Cabinet expansion: Mohan Kundariya, who walked over Gurukul students, becomes MoS

New Delhi, Nov 10: Mohanbhai Kalyanjibhai Kundariya was another Gujarat MP to have been inducted in the Narendra Modi cabinet. The 63-year-old first-time MP from Rajkot has been made new MoS Agriculture.

Kundariya is the only representative of Gujarat's Patel community in Modi's Cabinet.

Kundariya was a five-time MLA from Tankara in Rajkot district. This year, he was given the ticket to contest Rajkot Lok Sabha seat, where he defeated Congress' sitting MP Kuvarji Bavalia. He had also worked as a minister when Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat.

He is from the powerful Patel community in Gujarat, which has stood behind the BJP for the last 20 years in the state in spite of former chief minister Keshubhai Patel parting ways with the BJP to form his own party.

Patel community had not backed Keshubhai in the 2012 Assembly elections and voted for the BJP led by Modi. Keshubhai had later dissolved his party.

"It is a matter of pride for Saurashtra as well as Gujarat that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided to induct Rajkot MP Mohan Kundariya as a Minister in his government," government spokesperson and Health Minister Nitin Patel told reporters in Rajkot on Sunday.

Kundariya found himself in the midst of a controversy after he walked over the Gurukul students at a function in March 2014.

(With inputs from agencies)