Gandhinagar: Swearing in of cabinet of 17th Chief Minister of Gujarat, Bhupendra Patel is taking place today post 1.30 pm at Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar. Gujarat BJP chief CR Patil started calling MLAs over phone today evening and informed about their induction in State cabinet.

Among the names who received call of confirmation are Harsh Sanghvi Majura, Naresh Patel Gandevi, Kiritsinh Rana Limbdi, Arvind Raiyani Rajkot South, Kanu Desai Pardi, Rushikesh Patel Visnagar, Brijesh Merja Morbi, Kirtisinh Vaghela Kankrej, Mukesh Patel Olpad, RC Makwana Mahuva, Jitu Chaudhary Kaprada, Raghavji Patel Jamnagar Rural, Jitu Vaghani Bhavnagar, Manisha Vakil Vadodara city, Devabhai Malam Keshod, JV Kakadiya Dhari, Jagdish Panchal Nikol Gajendrasinh Parmar Prantij, Pradip Parmar Asarwa, Nimisha Suthar Morva Hadaf, Nimaben Acharya Bhuj, Rajendra Trivedi Raopura, Kuber Dindor Santrampur among others.

Meanwhile Speaker Rajendra Trivedi has resigned from the post of Speaker ahead of his induction into the cabinet. Neemaben Acharya will play the role of Speaker in transit. The size of Patel cabinet is believed 23 in which there shall be two women.

Swearing in of new cabinet of Gujarat is awaited for last three days. New Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel had taken oath without cabinet on September 13. The MLAs of party were asked to reach capital Gandhinagar by 10.00 am yesterday by chief whip.

It is now almost certain that new cabinet will not be just a reshuffle or rejig but a hard reboot. To take care of possible ramifications and to ensure smooth transition, the party leaders including State party incharge Bhupendra Yadav are camping in Gandhinagar. Senior ministers who are to be dropped have been informed about the decision of partly leadership and convinced for same.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, after his election as legislative leader of party had in his first press conference had said that cabinet formation would take place in coordination with party organization. One place which busy during the process of cabinet formation was State party chief CR Patil’s bungalow in Gandhinagar, where MLAs could be seen paying visits. Another place was former Chief Minister Vijay Rupani’s house where ministers who are to be dropped were called and convinced for step down in presence of senior former minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, State party incharge Bhupendra Yadav and party’s national general secretary (Organization) BL Santosh.

Opposition to party’s decision to drop all outgoing ministers was spotted only in Jasdan assembly constituency where the supporters of Kunvarji Bavaliya gathered in around a dozen strength and gave bytes to media persons. Kunvarji today released a video in which he appealed his supporters to accept the decision of party leadership. Bavaliya supporters have given bandh agitation in Vinchhiya town of his constituency today.

In another development, the first cabinet meeting of the Council of Ministers will be chaired by Chief Minister Patel at 4.30 pm today. Allocation of portfolios to new minister is likely in that meet. DeshGujarat