Gujarat Cabinet rejig: Those who missed a berth this time, and why

However, while Kunvarji Bavaliya has been retained and allocated the portfolio of Labour, Skill Development and Employment, Rural Development, he is joined by former senior Congress leader from Porbandar, Arjun Modhwadia, who has been included in the Cabinet as the new Forests and Environment, Climate Change, Science and Technology minister.

So, instead of four Congress turncoats who were Ministers, there are only two now.

The other dropped Cabinet – rank ministers are Raghavji Patel who held the portfolio of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Cow-Breeding, Fisheries, Rural Housing and Rural Development, Balvantsinh Rajput, the Minister of Industries, Micro, Small and Medium Industries, Cottage, Khadi and Rural Industries, Civil Aviation, Labour and Employment, Mulubhai Bera (Tourism, Cultural Activities, Forest and Environment, Climate Change), Kuber Dindor (Tribal Development, Primary, Secondary and Adult Education) and Bhanuben Babariya, the Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Women and Child Welfare.

Among the five Ministers of State dropped are Jagdish Vishwakarma, Co-operation, Salt Industries, Printing and Stationary, Protocol (All Independent Charge), Micro, Small and Medium Industries, Cottage, Khadi and Rural Industries, Civil Aviation (state) who has rather been elevated as the BJP state president, Bachubhai Khabad (Panchayat, Agriculture), Mukesh Patel (Forest and Environment, Climate Change, Water Resources and Water Supply), Bhikubhai Parmar (Food and Civil Supply, Social Justice and Empowerment) and Kunvarji Halpati, the Minister of State for Tribal Development, Labour and Employment, Rural Development.

Reacting to this major rejig, the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee President Amit Chavda alleged the BJP government was forced to drop these names due to corruption charges.

“The Ministers in the BJP government were involved in corruption and 50 per cent ministers were dropped, which manifests the CM’s failed team. As the entire government is suffering from policy paralysis major corruption scams like MNREGA scam in which Bachubhai Khabad, GIDC scam involving Balvantsinh Rajput, Bhikhusinh Parmar in the BZ scam, Mukesh Patel’s family members were involved in the arms license scam. Even though complaints of corruption and mismanagement were received against many ministers, no action was taken for two and a half years,” Amit Chavda told The Indian Express.

While Balvantsinh Rajput, also a Congress turncoat, is a businessman who owns the Gokul Group of companies, the three-time BJP MLA Bachubhai Khabad represents the Koli community and has been winning from Devgadh Baria in Dahod district since 2012.

Further adding, Chavda said after celebrating the Vikas Saptah, the government realised that the government’s administration has gone into a ditch. “The public has recognised BJP’s policy and destiny, changing faces does not wash away sins. The change in the cabinet will not benefit the public at all,” he said.

While Raghavji Patel is the MLA from the Jamnagar Rural constituency who was earlier associated with the Congress, Kunvarji Halpati is a well-known tribal leader of south Gujarat and has been in and out of the BJP over the last decade. In the 2007 Assembly elections, Halpati defeated BJP as a Congress candidate from the Bardoli seat, but joined the BJP in 2013 after the Congress denied him ticket from the Gandevi (ST) seat. After suspension for almost two years – after he unsuccessfully fought the 2017 polls from Mandvi as an independent – he rejoined the BJP in 2019.