Gujarat has witnessed the formation of a new cabinet under Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, marking a significant political milestone. Harsh Sanghvi has been elevated as the Deputy Chief Minister. Representing the assembly from Surat's Majura seat, he previously served as the Minister of State for Home and has emerged as a prominent young face in the Jain community. Having been elected for the third time, he held the role of Minister of State since 2021.
Significant Representation for Patidar Community
The cabinet includes 6 ministers from the Patidar community: Kaushik Vekariya, Praful Panseriya, Kanti Amrutia, Rishikesh Patel, Jitubhai Vaghani, and Kamlesh Patel. Praful Panseriya represents Surat's Kamrej seat and is a third-time MLA. Previously serving as Minister of the State for Education since 2022, he now assumes the role of Cabinet Minister.
Incorporating diversity, there are 3 ministers from the Scheduled Caste: Manisha Vakil, Pradyumna Vaja, and Darshan Vaghela. From the Tribal community, 4 ministers have been appointed: Ramesh Katara, P.C. Baranda, Jairam Gamit, and Naresh Patel. The Kshatriya community sees representation with Rivaba Jadeja and Sanjaysingh Mahida holding ministerial roles.
Robust OBC Representation
Eight ministers from the OBC community have been included in the cabinet: Kunwarji Bawalia, Arjun Modhwadia, Parsottam Solanki, Trikam Chhanga, Pravin Mali, Swaroopji Thakor, Ishwarsingh Patel, and Raman Solanki. Kanu Desai represents the Brahmin community, while Harsh Sanghvi continues to represent the Jain (minority) community.
Regional Distribution of Ministers
The distribution of ministers by region includes 9 from Saurashtra-Kutch, 6 from Central Gujarat, 5 from South Gujarat, and 4 from North Gujarat. Noteworthy is the appointment of Darshan Vaghela from Ahmedabad. In this ceremony, some ministers did not swear in, as their roles remained unchanged. These include Rishikesh Patel, Kanu Desai, Kunwarji Bawalia (all cabinet ministers), and Parsottam Solanki (minister of state). In terms of promotions, Praful Panseriya and Harsh Sanghvi have been elevated from Ministers of State to Cabinet Ministers.
