AHMEDABAD: Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel’s 3.0 cabinet is a carefully calculated blend of caste, region, youth, and power, clearly designed with an eye on the 2027 Assembly elections and upcoming municipal polls. Every decision—from who sits at the table to the age and wealth of ministers—sends a message about the Gujarat BJP’s strategy and priorities.
Saurashtra remains central to the BJP’s calculations. Once the stronghold of the late former CM Vijay Rupani, Saurashtra continues to hold political weight even without him. Nine of the 26 ministers come from Saurashtra-Kutch, showing the region’s continued influence in municipal and Assembly elections. Central Gujarat has seven ministers, while South and North Gujarat have increased in numbers but lost some of their relative importance.
Caste equations have been sharply recalibrated. The party has mirrored its decision to elevate an OBC leader as state BJP president within the cabinet as well. OBC leaders now hold the largest share with eight ministers, surpassing the seven ministers from the Patidars.
This reverses the previous 4:6 Patidar-OBC ratio, though the Patidar presence has almost doubled. Dalit representation has also grown, from one minister to three, including two women, signalling a broader social outreach. In total, three women ministers have been included, reinforcing the BJP’s strategy of inclusive representation.
Zone-wise, the tilt is unmistakable. With both the Chief Minister and the State BJP President hailing from Ahmedabad, Saurashtra has been strategically amplified as a counterbalance.
Nine ministers from Saurashtra-Kutch lead the tally, followed by seven from Central Gujarat. South and North Gujarat have increased their numerical strength but lost relative weightage in percentage terms.
The cabinet’s composition extends beyond caste and geography. Youth and generational change are visible. The average age of ministers has dropped from 60 to 55. Fresh faces like Harsh Sanghvi, Rivaba Jadeja, Praveen Mali, and Kaushik Vekaria—all under 40—mark a conscious effort to groom the next generation of leadership.
This is complemented by a recalibration of wealth in the cabinet. With Balwantsinh Rajput, the richest minister in the previous cabinet with assets of Rs 324 crore, out of the ministry, the average wealth of ministers has come down from Rs 30 crore to Rs 11 crore. The inclusion of Rivaba Jadeja shows a shift from heavy financial power to a more politically flexible profile.
