Bhupendra Patel’s New Gujarat Cabinet to Take Oath Today; 26 Ministers to Join Council

The new Gujarat cabinet under Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel will take oath at 12:45 pm on Friday at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar, marking one of the biggest ministerial reshuffles since 2021.

A total of 26 ministers will be sworn in, taking the council’s strength close to the constitutional limit of 27. The reshuffle features a blend of experienced legislators and first-time ministers, aimed at ensuring regional balance and wider social representation ahead of the 2026 local body and 2027 Assembly elections.

According to party insiders, the new council includes seven Patidars (including the CM), eight OBCs, three Scheduled Castes (SCs), and four Scheduled Tribes (STs), along with three women ministers. The Saurashtra region has gained notable prominence with eight MLAs in the cabinet, up from five earlier.

Among the new faces expected to take oath are Rivaba Jadeja, MLA from Jamnagar North and wife of cricketer Ravindra Jadeja, and Arjun Modhwadia, the former Gujarat Congress president who joined the BJP last year. Kantilal Amrutiya, the Morbi MLA known for his rescue efforts during the 2022 bridge collapse, is also likely to return.

Other prominent inclusions include Jitubhai Vaghani, MLA from Bhavnagar West and former education minister, and Darshana Vaghela, MLA from Asarwa (SC), who will represent Scheduled Caste constituencies.

Several senior ministers from the outgoing cabinet are being retained, including Kanubhai Desai, Harsh Sanghvi, Kunvarji Bavaliya, Balwantsinh Rajput, and Raghavji Patel, all of whom are considered steady performers.

Chief Minister Patel submitted the new list to Governor Acharya Devvrat earlier today and is expected to retain key portfolios such as urban development and general administration until the official portfolio allocation later this evening.

All 16 ministers from the previous cabinet resigned on Thursday as part of the formal process before reconstitution. The BJP leadership views the new cabinet as a move to inject fresh energy and maintain social harmony in the run-up to major electoral battles.