Gujarat: CM Bhupendra Patel meets Governor to seek permission for swearing-in ceremony of new cabinet

Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], October 17 (ANI): Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel met Governor Acharya Devvrat at Raj Bhavan on Friday to formally seek permission to organise the swearing-in ceremony for the new cabinet members.
Sharing an X post, the Gujarat Governor wrote, "Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel ji visited Raj Bhavan today and paid a courtesy call. During this time, the Chief Minister acquainted with the current status of the Gujarat cabinet and sought permission to organise the swearing-in ceremony for the new cabinet members."
This comes amid a significant reshuffle in the cabinet, with all 16 ministers, except CM Bhupendra Patel, resigning on Thursday.
The new cabinet will take oath today at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar, according to an official statement.
Governor Acharya Devvratji will administer the oath of office and secrecy to the designated ministers included in this expansion of the State Cabinet during the ceremony.
Gujarat BJP released a list of 26 ministers designate which included among others, Swaroopji Thakor, Pravenkumar Mali, Rushikesh Patel, Darshna Waghela, Kunvarji Bavaliya, Rivaba Jadeja, Arjun Modhwadia, Parshottam Solanki, Jitendra Waghani, Praful Pansheriya, Harsh Sanghvi and Kanubhai Desai.
Gujarat can have a maximum of 27 ministers (15 per cent of the 182-member assembly), and the BJP aims to fill more of these positions. The Gujarat cabinet comprised a total of 17 (including the Chief Minister) Ministers, with 8 being cabinet ministers and 8 being ministers of state.
The reshuffle is part of the BJP's efforts to rejuvenate its leadership in Gujarat ahead of future electoral challenges.
Meanwhile, BJP National President JP Nadda reached Ahemdabad earlier today. The move to bring in new faces to the Gujarat cabinet comes just three years into the government's formation, and two years before the 2027 legislative assembly elections.
According to Article 164(A) of the Indian Constitution, a state cabinet shall not exceed 15 per cent of the total strength of the legislative assembly. The minimum number of ministers (including the CM) allowed is 12. In the 182-member legislative assembly, there can be around 27 ministers.
The cabinet expansion is seen as a strategic move to inject new energy into the administration and strengthen the BJP's governance framework in Gujarat. (ANI)