A day after taking oath as the 16th Chief Minister of Gujarat, Vijay Rupani allocated portfolios to his 24 Ministers on Monday. The two-tier Rupani Ministry has nine Cabinet Ministers, including the Chief Minister, and 16 Ministers of State.
Rupani kept key departments, including Home, Mines & Minerals, Ports, Information & Broadcasting, Science & Technology, General Administration, Planning and Climate Change, with him. He will also look after all those departments which have not yet been allotted to other Ministers. Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel has been given responsibility of Finance, Roads & Building, Narmada, Kalpsar, Petrochemicals and Urban Development & Urban Planning. Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, most senior Minister in the Cabinet after Rupani and Patel would look after Revenue, Education, as well as Parliamentary affairs.
Tribal leader from south Gujarat Ganapat Vasava, who was Speaker in Anandiben’s Government will monitor Tribal Development, Tourism as well as Forest. Another Cabinet Minister Chiman Shaparia has been given Agriculture and Energy portfolios. Since 2002, Saurabh Patel is holding the charge of energy department in Narendra Modi as well as Anandiben Governments. Patel is one of the contenders to become Gujarat CM. However, after almost 14 years he dropped from the Ministry.
Porbander MlA Babubhai Bokhiria has been given Water Supply, Animal Husbandry and Cow Conservation, Fisheries, Civil Aviation, Salt Industry. Former Deputy Speaker in previous Government and now Cabinet Minister Atmaram Parmar would take care of Social Justice & Welfare department.
Another member of Rupani Cabinet Dilip Thakor, a powerful OBC leader from Chanasma in North Gujarat has been made in charge of labour and Employment, Disaster Management and Tourism Development. The youngest Minister in the Council of Ministers Jayesh Radadia who has been promoted to Cabinet rank is entrusted with Food & Civil Supply, Consumer Affairs and Cottage Industry. The 35-year-old Jayesh is the son of Vithal Radadia, the powerful Patidar leader of Saurashtra region.
As far as Ministers of State are concerned, 46-year-old Shankar Chaudhari has been given independent charge for Environment. He would also look after Health and Urban Development. Close aide of Amit Shah and Vatva MlA Pradipsinh Jadeja was given Home an Energy department.
The 67-year-old strong Patel leader from Anand in Central Gujarat, Rohit Patel, has meanwhile been given charge of Industry, Mining and Finance as Minister of State. Patel himself runs an industry. Among other important allocations, Ishwarbhai Patel has been allocated cooperation, Vallabh Kakadia, Transport, Rajendra Trivedi, Sports & Cultural Activities, Babubhai Bokhiria, Water Supply and Gau-Samwardhan among others.