Lone woman among 16 ministers inducted in Bhupendra Patel 2.0 cabinet so far

Ahmedabad, Dec 12: Bhupendra Patel, Bharatiya Janata Party's soft-spoken face in Gujarat, has retained the chief ministerial chair after the party swept the state Assembly elections, trouncing rivals Congress and Aam Aadmi Party.

Patel was sworn in as CM in Gandhinagar on Monday at a ceremony attended by PM Narendra Modi and top BJP leaders, including Union ministers and chief ministers of state ruled by the party. Prior to becoming the CM in September 2021, Bhupendra Patel was not a known face outside Ahmedabad and even within party circles. The surprise choice of the party has in the last one year taken some tough decision to establish himself as the leader in Gujarat.

A dedicated party worker, who made his way up in the state politics from the municipality level, Patel was a surprise choice for the top post when the BJP decided to effect a regime change, replacing the entire ministry a year before the elections.

Patel's elevation and his subsequent projection as chief ministerial face - he is the first from the Kadva Patidar sub-group to be the chief minister - is key to BJP's plans to woo the Kadva Patidar community, which some political observers feel, has drifted away from the party.

Apart from Bhupendra Patel, Gujarat governor Acharya Devvrat also administered the oath of office to some newly-elected MLAS, the Patel 2.0 cabinet. Sixteen ministers, including a woman, were inducted in the Bhupendra Patel government in Gujarat on Monday.

List of ministers in Bhupendra Patel 2.0 cabinet:

1. Kuvarji Bavaliya (Jasdan),
2. Mulubhai Bera (Khambhaliya),
3. Dr. Kuber Dindor (Santrampur ST),
4. Smt Bhanuben Babariya (Rajkot Rural SC)
5. BJP MLAs Harsh Sanghavi (Majura Surat)
6. Jagdish Vishwakarma (Nikol Ahmedabad)
7. BJP MLAs Parshottam Solanki (Bhavnagar Rural),
8. Bachubhai Khabad (Devgadh Baria),
9. Mukesh Patel (Olpad)
10. BJP MLAs Praful Pansheriya (Kamrej),
11. Bhikhusinh Parmar (Modasa) and
12. Kunvarji Halpati (Mandvi ST)
13. BJP MLAs Kanubhai Desai (Pardi),
14. Rushikesh Patel (Visnagar),
15. Raghavji Patel (Jamnagar Rural), and
16. Balwantsinh Rajput (Siddhpur)