Sixteen Gujarat ministers submitted their resignations to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Thursday. This move paves the way for a major cabinet reshuffle at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar on Friday, sources said.

A senior BJP leader explained that the ministers were instructed to resign by the afternoon. This step allows Patel and party leaders to execute what one official called a “strategic reset” ahead of local body elections and the 2027 assembly polls.

The outgoing council consisted of eight cabinet-rank ministers, two ministers of state with independent charge, and six ministers of state.

New Cabinet to Take Oath Friday

Patel will swear in the new ministers around noon on Friday. Earlier, he met the outgoing ministers after their resignations, and they began vacating their offices, a party official confirmed.

Later Thursday, Patel is expected to meet Governor Acharya Devvrat to submit the list of new ministers. The governor, who also oversees Maharashtra, is scheduled to arrive in Gandhinagar by 8 pm.

Composition of the New Team

The new cabinet will feature 22-23 ministers, a BJP leader said. Only four to five ministers from the outgoing team are likely to be retained. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP President JP Nadda will attend the oath ceremony. Meanwhile, all BJP MLAs have been asked to stay in Gandhinagar.

This reshuffle marks the first major overhaul since Patel replaced Vijay Rupani in 2021 and led the BJP to a landslide victory in the 2022 state elections.

Other Likely Changes

The newly appointed state BJP president, Jagdish Vishwakarma, is unlikely to be retained due to the “one person, one post” rule. Additionally, the government may revive the deputy chief minister post. Harsh Sanghvi and Kunvarji Halpati emerge as likely contenders, a party leader said.