Bhupendra Patel sworn in for second time, PM, Chief Ministers present
Bhupendra Patel was sworn in at a grand ceremony in Gandhinagar today.
Gujarat BJP leader Bhupendra Patel was sworn in as chief minister for the second time in a grand ceremony attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other central ministers, in Gandhinagar today.
Mr Patel, who replaced Vijay Rupani in September last year, was sworn in by Governor Acharya Devvrat at a reception near the new secretariat this afternoon.
Sixteen ministers, including eight of ministerial rank, were also sworn in. 11 former ministers were also selected.
Cabinet ministers include Kanu Desai, Rishikesh Patel, Raghvji Patel, Balvantsinh Rajput, Kunvarji Bavaliya, Mulu Bera, Kuber Dindor and Bhanuben Babariya.
Harsh Sanghvi and Jagdish Vishwakarma were sworn in as Ministers of State with independent office.
The other six ministers of state are Parshottam Solanki, Bachu Khabad, Mukesh Patel, Praful Pansheriya, Kuverji Halpati and Bhikhusinh Parmar.
The event was also attended by 200 state sadhus, who were specially invited for the ceremony.
The audience also included members of other backward classes, Scheduled Castes and Tribes, and women – seen as a key vote bank for the 2024 Lok Sabha and then 2026 elections.
Contrary to concerns over anti-incumbency, the BJP had won a landslide victory in the just-concluded assembly elections in Gujarat – winning 156 of the state’s 182 seats and 53% of the vote, paving the way in the seventh term of the ruling party in the Western State.
Breaking his own record, Mr Patel again won the Ghatlodia seat by a margin of 1.92 lakh votes.
Mr Patel, 60, resigned as chief minister along with his entire cabinet on Friday to pave the way for the formation of a new government after the election results.
He was elected to lead the legislative BJP party on Saturday, after which he met the governor and demanded the formation of the next government.
A quiet BJP leader and the first of the Kadva Patidar sub-group to hold the top job, Bhupendra Patel replaced Vijay Rupani in September 2021.
With PTI entries
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