Gujarat Cabinet rejig: Here are the names of new ministers

Raman Solanki

Raman Solanki is a first term MLA from the Congress bastion of Borsad in Anand district – which also marked the BJP’s first ever win in the Assembly Constituency, which was once held by Late Madhavsinh Solanki. Solanki, who is a Kshatriya-Thakor considered OBCs in Gujarat, worked as a school teacher, holds a diploma in agriculture.

Ramesh Katara

Ramesh Katara, a 3-term MLA from Fatepura in Dahod district, is a formidable tribal leader in Dahod district. An active leader in the district unit, Katara is seen as a replacement for Khabad to represent the important tribal district in the Ministry. Katara had first contested from the seat in 2012 and snatched the seat from the Congress for BJP.

Sanjaysinh Mahida

Mahida, a first-term MLA from Mahuda constituency of Kheda district had won his constituency by a margin of 25,000 votes in the 2022 polls. Mahida is an influential local leader in his region and a known face among traders and businessmen.

Kamlesh Patel

A first-time MLA from Petlad in Anand district, Patel is a teacher by profession. Known to have a strong RSS connection, the large Patidar voter base in the region has been a deciding factor in the party picking him for the constituency in 2022. In his maiden polls in 2022, Patel had polled 89000 votes, beating his rival by close to 8,000 votes.

Arjun Modhwadia

Modhwadia was a Congress leader and sitting MLA from Porbandar when he quit the party in March 2024, citing he “felt suffocated”. Modhwadia had joined the Congress in 1993. He was elected as an MLA from Porbandar in his maiden election in 2002 and re-elected in 2007. He lost the 2012 and 2017 polls but was re-elected for his third term in 2022.

Jitu Vaghani

An MLA from Bhavnagar West constituency of Saurashtra region, Vaghani is a Leuva Patidar considered close to Amit Shah. Vaghani has served as a Gujarat BJP president earlier. Vaghani was a cabinet minister in the Vijay Rupani government.

Pradyuman Vaja

A first-time MLA from Kodinar constituency of Gir Somnath district, Vaja is among the highly educated ministers in the latest cabinet. He also belongs to the SC community. Vaja has earlier headed the Scheduled Caste Morcho of Gujarat BJP. He is considered as one of the better speakers of BJP in Gujarat Assembly.

Kantilal Amrutiya

Amrutiya is a Kadva Patidar from Morbi constituency of Saurashtra region. He is a six-time MLA from the constituency dominated by Patidar community. Amrutiya rose to fame in 2022 during the Morbi suspension bridge tragedy when he jumped into the Machchhu river to save victims of the tragedy.

Darshana Vaghela

Vaghela is one of the three female MLAs who have been made minister in the cabinet. She is appointed as MoS and belongs to the SC community. Darshana was elected from Asarva of Ahmedabad city. She is a former school principal who had been elected twice as corporator of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.

Kaushik Vekariya

A first-time MLA, Vekariya is a Leuva Patidar from Amreli district. He was elected from the constituency in 2022 while defeating Congress’s senior leader and former leader of opposition Paresh Dhanani. He is Director at Gujarat State Cooperative Housing Finance Board since March 2016.

Pravin Mali

Mali is a first time MLA from Deesa constituency of Banaskantha district. Among the young BJP MLAs, he is considered one of the techno-savvy members. Mali has worked as a convener of BJP’s Documentation Department. He is also trustee of an educational trust named after Jyotiba Phule in Deesa.

Trikam Chhanga

Chhanga was elected from Anjar constituency of Kutch district. He belongs to Ahir community. Chhanga worked as member of Anjar Taluka Panchayat between 2000 and 2010. He has also functioned as member and president of Kutch District Panchayat between 2010 and 2015.

P C Baranda

Elected from Bhiloda constituency of Aravalli district, Baranda is a first time MLA. He is a retired IPS officer who has worked as general secretary of Tribal Morcha of Gujarat BJP before being elected to Gujarat Assembly in 2022.

Swarupji Thakor

Swarupji is the newest MLA of Gujarat Assembly as he got elected in the by-election of Vav constituency of Banaskantha district in November last year. The seat was vacated by Congress’s Geniben Thakor after she was elected to Lok Sabha from Banaskantha constituency.

Jayram Gamit

BJP MLA from Nizar seat in Tapi district, Gamit was a senate member with Veer Narmad South Gujarat University from 2018 to 2022 and a syndicate member from 2018 to 2021. He contested for the first time in 2022 state Assembly elections and got elected defeating sitting Congress MLA Sunil Gamit.

Ishwarsinh Patel

A BJP MLA from Ankleshwar in Bharuch, he was made the BJP president of Bharuch district from 1990 to 1995. He first contested the election from the BJP on the Ankleshwar seat in 2002 and won the election.

Naresh Patel

Patel had been vice president of Chikhli taluka Panchayat 2008 to 2010. President of Navsari district BJP for two terms 2013 to 2020. In 2021, he was inducted into the state cabinet and made tribal development minister. He had stepped down from the state cabinet. During the Par Tapi Narmada river project of the Central Government, he had put all possible efforts to convince the tribals.