All 16 Gujarat Ministers Resign Ahead of Cabinet Expansion

GANDHINAGAR: In a major political development ahead of the scheduled cabinet expansion, all 16 ministers in the Gujarat government tendered their resignations to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Thursday, BJP sources confirmed.

The move comes a day before Patel is set to expand his cabinet, as announced earlier in the day by the state government. The resignations are being viewed as part of a broader reshuffle aimed at infusing new energy into the administration and balancing regional and caste representation ahead of upcoming political challenges.

According to party insiders, the resignations were submitted in a coordinated manner to facilitate the formation of a new council of ministers. The reshuffle is expected to bring in fresh faces, including some first-time MLAs, while a few senior leaders may be reassigned to organisational roles within the party.

Sources indicated that the new cabinet will likely be sworn in on Friday after receiving final approval from the BJP’s central leadership in Delhi. The exercise, they said, reflects the party’s strategy of maintaining performance-based appointments and ensuring wider representation across key regions such as Saurashtra, North Gujarat, and Central Gujarat.

Chief Minister Patel, who assumed office in 2021 after replacing Vijay Rupani, has maintained close coordination with the BJP high command and is believed to be planning a team that aligns with the state’s governance priorities and the party’s national agenda ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.

Political observers see the development as a calculated step by the ruling BJP to rejuvenate its state leadership and strengthen administrative efficiency in the run-up to major projects and policy rollouts.