Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani being administered the oath of office by Governor OP Kohli.
Highlights
- Three cabinet and six junior ministers were dropped
- Nine new ministers inducted in the new council
- Altogether, eight ministers belong to the Patidar community
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and his deputy Nitin Patel took oath today along with a 23-member cabinet in Gandhi Nagar's Mahatma Mandir. Governor O P Kohli administered the oath.
Nine ministers from Anandiben Patel's council - three cabinet and six junior ministers -- were dropped. The key missing faces include Saurabh Patel, Raman Vora and the junior home minister Rajni Patel.
Nine new ministers were inducted. The council now includes eight ministers from the Patidar community -- a loyal support base that's now angry with the BJP government for its handling of its demand for reservation in jobs and education.
Mr Rupani, 61, who is close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, was named by the party as its candidate for the top post on Friday. Mr Patel, who till then was considered front-runner for the post, was named as the deputy chief minister.
The decision was made during an hour-long stormy meeting -- held before the legislators' meet -- between key BJP leaders of the state and party chief Amit Shah.
Sources said Anandiben Patel -- who had announced her resignation on Facebook last week, saying she was deferring to BJP's unwritten age bar -- was rooting for Nitin Patel for the post.
She had insisted that a Patel leader be picked ahead of assembly elections to placate the community.
But party chief Amit Shah had supported Mr Rupani, pointing out that his strong organisational skills were more needed ahead of elections. A large section of the party, he further said, supported Mr Rupani for the top post.