Having suffered a setback in the district and panchayat polls last year, Chief Minister Anandiben Patel would seek to increase rural representation in her next Cabinet reshuffle which is likely after the Budget Session of Gujarat Assembly.
As per the saffron party’s ‘one-person-one-post’ policy, senior Minister and Rajkot West MlA Vijay Rupani is expected to resign as Minister due to his election as new Gujarat BJP president. Apparently, Rupani would resign post Budget Session and the restructuring in the State Cabinet would take place only after it.
“We may see some new faces in the Cabinet. Strategic representation from rural parts of the State would be increased in the Council of Ministers especially after recent rout in the Panchayat polls. This factor will be crucial for the new BJP president Rupani for the appointment of new office-bearers across the State,” said a senior BJP leader on the condition of anonymity.
The saffron brigade suffered heavily in Saurashtra and North Gujarat in the Panchayat polls in November last year. Representation from these two regions not only in party organisation but State Government is expected to increase. The party high command has a mammoth task at hand of choosing right combination in the backdrop of on-going Patel quota agitation.
“The top leadership of BJP will have to consider Patidars as well as OBC leaders who are opposing demands of Patidar leaders. The State leadership is already in contact with BJP’s national president Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi about Cabinet reshuffle and appointment of new office-bearers,” said the sources.
One wouldn’t be surprised if some of the party workers are inducted as directors of State-owned board and corporations as there are many aspirants and everybody can’t be inducted in the Cabinet. Some of the existing Ministers who have too many portfolios would be relieved of some of the responsibilities.
Already the State BJP president has indicated declaration of names of district presidents and other office-bearers in March. Immediately after the announcement of new team of Vijay Rupani, Anandiben will rejig her Cabinet.
In the restructuring of party organisation as well as the State Cabinet, Naranpura MlA and BJP’s national president Amit Shah will have sway in selecting the right candidate for strengthening party’s position in upcoming Assembly polls.