Bhupendra Patel takes oath as Gujarat CM for 2nd time — A look at his cabinet

Bhupendra Patel took oath as the Chief Minister of Gujarat on Monday. He grabbed the CM post for the second time after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) retained power in the state in a historic win. The BJP had crossed the majority mark in the Gujarat Assembly Election 2022 and emerged victorious on 156 of 182 assembly House.

The chief minister kept portfolios of home, general administration, revenue, disaster management, urban development and urban housing, pilgrimage development, panchayat, science and technology, roads and building, Narmada, ports and information and broadcasting with himself, according to an official release.

Apart from Bhupendra Patel, around 15 other cabinet ministers and Minister of State were sworn in during the ceremony. These include:

Kanubhai Desai won the Pardi seat by with over 1.2 lakh votes. He outperformed Congress’s Hemant Manubhai Desai by 37,311 votes. Desai was earlier the former finance minister of Gujarat.

Rushikesh Ganeshbhai Patel (health, higher and technical education, law and parliamentary and legislative affairs): He was the minister of Health and Family Welfare of Gujarat. He was incharge of the health portfolio during the COVID pandemic. Patel won the Visnagar seat, defeating Congress’s Kirit Patel.

Balvantsinh Chandansinh Rajput (industries, labour and employment, MSME, cottage industry and civil aviation): Balwantsinh Rajput won the Sidhpur assembly constituency after defeating Chandanji Thakor of Congress, and Mahendra Rajput of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Rajput had resigned from the Congress in July 2017.

Raghvajibhai Hansrajbhai Patel (agriculture, fisheries, rural housing and rural development departments): He was the agriculture minister in the outgoing Bhupendra Patel government. He retained his Jamnagar Rural seat, defeating the AAP's Prakash Donga by 47,500 votes.

Parsottam Solanki (fisheries and animal husbandry as a Minister of State): He is a five-time MLA and won the Bhavnagar Rural constituency in Saurashtra region. He has been winning the Koli community-dominated seat with comfortable margins.

Kunwarji Mohanbhai Bavaliya (water resources and water supply and food and civil supply departments): He is the former Minister Of Water Supply. He had switched to the BJP from the Congress in 2018. Bavaliya won the Jasdan Assembly constituency, defeated his one-time prodigy Bholabhai Gohil.

Harsh Sanghavi (home, police housing, industry and cultural activities as a Minister of State (MoS), sports and youth service): Sanghavi has been winning from Majura since 2012. He has held the all-important home portfolio as MoS in the outgoing Bhupendra Patel government. He was also given charge of the revenue portfolio. Right now, he will also  handle NRG (Non Resident Gujaratis) department, prisons, border security and transport portfolios as MoS with independent charge.

Bhanu ben Babaria (social justice and empowerment, women and child development): Babariya won Rajkot Rural for the third time this election year. She is a sitting corporator in Rajkot Municipal Corporation. Babaria was elected from the SC seat in 2007 and 2012. She was then dropped and spent four years on sidelines, News 18 reported.

Kuberbhai Mansukhbhai Dindor (tribal development, primary and secondary education):  He won the Santrampur seat after defeating Congress's Gendalbhai Motibhai Damor by 15,577 votes. He retained the Santrampur seat after winning it in 2017.

Bachubhai Khabad (MoS for panchayat and agriculture departments): Khabad the Devgadbariya constituency beating AAP’s Vakhala Bharatsinh Pratapbhai by over 44,000 vote. He has been holding the seat since 2012.

Jagdish Vishwakarma (independent charge of cooperation, salt industry and protocol department): He was the minister of industries in the previous government. He was given an additional roads and buildings portfolio when Purnesh Modi was relieved of it. He won the Nikol constituency of Ahmedabad city, defeating Congress’s Ranjitsinh Barad. In Gujarat 2.0, he will also handle MSME, cottage industry, khadi and village industry and civil aviation in the capacity of a junior minister.

Mukesh Patel (forest and environment, climate change, water resources and water supply departments as a junior minister): Mukesh Patel won the key Mehsana constituencies, fighting against Bhagat Patel of the Congress and PK Patel of the AAP. The BJP has kept hold of the Mehsana seat for the most part since 1990.

Bhikhusinhji Chatursinhji Parmar (junior minister for food and civil supply, social justice and empowerment): Arvalli Bhikhubhai Parmar won the Modasa constituency that was held by the Congress after he lost elections to the seat in 2017. Parmar defeated Rajendrasinh Thakor of the Congress who held the seat since 2012.

Praful Pansheriya (parliamentary and legislative affairs, education portfolio as a junior minister): Panseria won the Kamrej seat while contesting against prominent faces of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS). Panseria won the seat with a vote margin of 74,697.

Kunwarji Halpati (tribal development, labour and employment and rural development as an MoS): He won the Mandvi seat and had previously emerged victorious on the the same Mandvi Assembly seat in 2007 on a Congress ticket. He had joined the BJP in 2012.

Mulubhai Bera: He has been given tourism, cultural activities, forest and environment departments as a cabinet minister.