Almost 60 hours after taking oath as Gujarat Chief Minister, Vijay Rupani eventually allotted portfolios to his Ministers, including Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, after first Cabinet meeting on Thursday late night.
Though the meeting was scheduled at 5 pm, but it could start four hours later due to alleged ambiguity over allotment of portfolios to Patel. All the Ministers who had sworn-in on Tuesday morning assembled at Cabinet meeting hall well in time at 5 pm, but a separate marathon meeting of Rupani, Patel and Gujarat BJP president Jitu Vaghani continued till 9 in the night.
Addressing a press conference after the Cabinet meeting, Rupani said that the decision of allotment of portfolios delayed as party high command was busy with triple talaq related issues in Delhi. Replying a question on dispute over the allocation of ministry between him and Patel, the Chief Minister said that everything went smooth and his team was committed to serve people for the next five years. He said that his Government would take maximum advantage of Patel’s vast experience in state administration in coming days.
Meanwhile Rupani himself kept General Administration, Industries, Home, Urban Development, Information and Broadcasting, Petroleum, Climate Change, Planning, Science and Technology and those departments which are not allotted to other ministers. In the case of Patel, he has been given responsibility for Road and Building, Health and Family Welfare, Medical Education, Narmada and Kalpsar as well as Patnagar Yojana.