Gandhinagar : The official announcement of the Gujarat state cabinet expansion has been made. The swearing-in ceremony for newly appointed ministers will take place at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar on Friday, October 17, at 11:30 AM. Governor will administer the oath to all ministers. All current ministers are expected to submit their resignations by this evening. A meeting scheduled for Thursday was also postponed, and sources indicate that the next meeting will likely be held only after the cabinet expansion.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP National General Secretary Sunil Bansal, and Gujarat in-charge Bhupendra Yadav will reach Gandhinagar on Thursday evening for the swearing-in, while BJP National President J.P. Nadda is expected on Friday morning. BJP MLAs have also been instructed to remain in Gandhinagar in the coming days. In addition, 6 to 7 MLAs may be appointed as parliamentary secretaries to the chief minister.Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel is reportedly scheduled to leave for Mumbai at 11 AM today and return by 3 PM.
Analysts suggest that this expansion may focus on giving more opportunities to leaders from Saurashtra, especially the Patidar community. Jayesh Radadiya and Jitu Vaghani are considered likely to secure positions, with Vaghani possibly taking the Home Department. New appointments are expected to prioritize capable, young leaders with strong public images, taking into account upcoming municipal, district, taluka panchayat, and 2027 Assembly elections.
Senior and former BJP leaders in the district have reportedly opened personal offices in preparation for the 2027 Assembly elections. There are murmurs of potential party-switching among local leaders and contesting against current MLAs.
Read Also : Ahmedabad Recommended to Host 2030 Commonwealth Games, India Poised for Another Major Sporting Milestone