After the appointment of Jagdish Vishwakarma as the new Gujarat BJP president earlier this month, now it is time for the much awaited cabinet expansion in the state. The grapevine is that the expansion is likely to happen before Diwali.
This follows a nearly five-hour meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel in New Delhi on Monday night. Sources said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Vishwakarma and a few senior party leaders were also present.
Patel and Vishwakarma returned to Gujarat on Tuesday morning and now all eyes are on Gandhinagar. Whether the decision is announced on Wednesday – the day of the cabinet meeting – or any other day before Diwali (which is on October 20) remains to be seen.
Sources told Vibes of India that the axe can fall on at least three to four ministers and the name of Bachu Khabad, minister of state for panchayats, is almost certain. His two sons are involved in the MGNREGA scam in Dahod. Even the Centre had admitted during the Parliament session about the scam.
This perhaps might be the last expansion before the assembly elections that are due by the end of 2027.
Two to three women are likely to be made ministers and sources further said that two Congress leaders, who had joined the BJP, are also likely to find place in the list. Former Congress leader and Porbandar MLA Arjun Modhwadia is most likely to find a place in the cabinet in the expansion/reshuffle.
According to sources, incumbent speaker Shankar Chaudhary is likely to get a key post and this would mean that Gujarat Assembly may well have a new speaker. Chaudhary, who hails from North Gujarat, has a good control over Banas Dairy and the cooperative sector. He is even seen as a Man Friday by the BJP when it comes to dealing with crises.
The BJP will have to do a balancing act while selecting the ministers so that representation is given to all the regions in the state. The state will have elections to municipal corporations, taluka and district panchayats in a few months.
Sources said that Saurashtra region is expected to get good weightage. This is the region where Aam Aadmi Party is trying to make its presence felt, especially after Gopal Italia won Visavadar by-election defeating the BJP candidate earlier this year.
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