Gandhinagar: In a cabinet meeting held today here, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani allocated the portfolios of water supply, animal husbandry and rural housing to newly inducted Cabinet minister Kunvarji Bavaliya.

With this the portfolio of Cabinet rank minister RC Faldu has been tweaked. Faldu is now the minister for agriculture, rural development, fisheries, transport. The only change is, the portfolio of animal husbandry has been taken away from him and handed over to Bavaliya.

In another tweak, minister of state Parbatbhai Patel is now minister of water resources(independent charge) and water supply. Patel was earlier the minister of state for irrigation and water supply(independent charge). He has lost independent charge of water supply department and also the irrigation portfolio. He has been given water resources department with independent charge. He will retain water supply portfolio, but without independent charge.

63-year old Bavaliya has become 8th Cabinet rank minister after the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister in 21-member two-level cabinet.

Bavaliya elected from his stronghold Jasdan seat in Rajkot district in December 2017 general elections of Gujarat assembly, resigned from his seat and also resigned from Congress party. Within hour he joined ruling BJP and also took oath as cabinet minister in Raj Bhavan Gandhinagar.

Elected first to assembly as early as in 1995, 5-term MLA Bavaliya will need to get reelected in by-poll in Jasdan in next six months to continue as minister.

DeshGujarat