Gujarat oath-taking ceremony updates: Vibhavariben Dave only woman in 20-member new council of ministers

Patidars form nearly one-third of cabinet

Six ministers from the politically-influential Patidar community were sworn as ministers in the incoming Gujarat council of minister.

Image: Vijay Rupani sworn-in as Gujarat CM

Saurabh Patel sworn-in as minister, makes a comeback after a year

ગુજરાતના કેબિનેટ મંત્રી શ્રી સૌરભ પટેલજીને ખુબ ખુબ અભિનંદન #विकास_तिलक pic.twitter.com/KNYwR3HxPO

— BJP Gujarat (@BJP4Gujarat) December 26, 2017

Kishore Kanani last one to take oath

Kishore Kanani takes oath as a MoS. He had been a part of the Gujarat cabinet before. He belongs to the Surat region of Gujarat. He belongs to the Patidar Community, reports Financial Express.

Swearing-in ceremony ends

Vibhavariben Dave only woman to be sworn-in as MoS

A Brahmin, Dave hails from Gujarat’s Saurashtra region and is also a three-term MLA.

Here is the brief profile of Gujarat’s new CM

Ministers of State being sworn-in

There are 10 ministers of state who will be sworn-in today, along with 9 cabinet ministers and the chief minister.

Puroshottam Solanki again finds a place in cabinet 

Puroshottam Solanki, the incumbent fisheries minister and Bhavnagar strongman, has again found a place in the Gujarat cabinet.

Pradipsinh Jadeja. Ishwarbhai Parmar made ministers

Gandhinagar: Dilipkumar Viraji Thakor, Ishwarbhai Ramanbhai Parmar and Pradipsinh Jadeja take oath as ministers in Gujarat government pic.twitter.com/wI0b8HUCAn

— ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017

Visuals from swearing-in ceremony

Gandhinagar: Saurabh Patel, Ganpatsinh Vestabhai Vasava and Jayeshbhai Vitthalbhai Radadiya take oath as ministers in Gujarat government pic.twitter.com/a6RhgB28tN

— ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017

Jayesh Radadiya also made minister 

Jayesh, son of BJP leader Vitthalbhai Radadiya, has been given a cabinet rank this time.

Ganpat Vasava sworn-in as minister 

Tribal leader and senior BJP leader Ganpat Vasava has again been sworn-in as a cabinet minister.

Saurabh Patel returns to Gujarat Cabinet

Saurabh Patel, former industries minister has made a comeback into the Vijay Rupani cabinet.

Kaushik Patel also made minister

Gandhinagar: RC Faldu, Bhupindrasinh Chudasama and Kaushik Patel take oath as ministers in Gujarat government pic.twitter.com/qZXHvLdKyi

— ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017

Bhupendrasinh Chudasama sworn-in as minister 

Sitting education minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama has been sworn-in as a cabinet minister.

RC Faldu sworn-in as minister 

Former state BJP president RC Faldu, a Patidar leader, has been sworn-in as a cabinet minister.

Nitin Patel sworn-in as deputy chief minister 

Mehsana MLA Nitin Patel is sworn-in as deputy chief minister for the second consecutive time. He was first sworn-in as deputy chief minister in August 2016.

Vijay Rupani sworn-in chief minister 

Rajkot West MLA and incumbent chief minister Vijay Rupani has been sworn-in for the second consecutive time.

Governor OP Kohli arrives on stage

The three original builders of Gujarat BJP on one stage

PM Modi with former Gujarat CMs Keshubhai Patel and Shankersinh Vaghela at swearing-in ceremony of CM elect Vijay Rupani and others in Gandhinagar pic.twitter.com/03kfa3hTFy

— ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017

All BJP chief ministers on the stage

#Gujarat Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje Scindia and Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh at swearing-in ceremony of CM elect Vijay Rupani and others in Gandhinagar pic.twitter.com/bWv98XjeQp

— ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017

Follow the swearing-in ceremony LIVE

PM Modi to attend sworn in ceremony of Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani in Gandhinagar, Gujarat https://t.co/P2lEsOOOHs

— BJP Gujarat (@BJP4Gujarat) December 26, 2017

Prime minister arrives on stage

Gandhinagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives for swearing in ceremony of CM elect Vijay Rupani and others pic.twitter.com/zmYJwsEuNc

— ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017

Vaghela also on stage 

Shankersinh Vaghela, former chief minister and one-time BJP stalwart is also on the stage.

Union Cabinet ministers at the swearing-in ceremony

Gandhinagar: Union Ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad, Nitin Gadkari, Rajnath
Singh and Ram Vilas Paswan & BJP President Amit Shah at swearing-in ceremony of CM elect Vijay Rupani pic.twitter.com/x3IwPRrNQs

— ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017

LK Advani, Anandiben Patel also on the dais 

Not just 18 NDA chief ministers but also BJP patriarch LK Advani and BJP are on the stage for the swearing-in ceremony of the Vijay Rupani cabinet.

Narendra Modi tweets images of his roadshow 

Reached Gujarat. Will attend the swearing in ceremony of the Council of Ministers of the Gujarat Government. pic.twitter.com/j0t4PXbecf

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 26, 2017

BJP leaders greet Rupani, Nitin Patel

BJP leaders greet Chief Minister-elect @vijayrupanibjp ahead of his swearing-in ceremony in #Gandhinagar pic.twitter.com/23nLJ14azL

— DD News (@DDNewslive) December 26, 2017

Here is the list of ministers who will be sworn-in today

20 ministers including CM @vijayrupanibjp, 9 Cabinet ministers and 10 Minister of State will take oath in Gujarat today pic.twitter.com/lRj2yzf20M

— DD News (@DDNewslive) December 26, 2017

Yogi Adityanath arrives for the ceremony

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has arrived in Gandhinagar for the swearing-in ceremony of the Gujarat chief minister, reports Financial Express.

Swearing-in ceremony inside New Secretariat complex

Newly-elected Chief Minister of Gujarat Vijay Rupani and his cabinet will take oath at Helipad Ground inside New Secretariat complex in Gandhinagar, reports The Indian Express.

Patidars likely to be given key berths this time too

Nitin Patel’s continuance as deputy CM is being read as a signal to the influential Patidars that the community will be well represented in the ministry. Multiple BJP sources tipped party state president, Jitu Vaghani, and his predecessor RC Faldu, both Patidars, to find a place in the government, reported Hindustan Times.  

The outgoing Rupani ministry had seven Patidar ministers among a total of 25. In accordance with constitutional mandate, the government can have a maximum of 27 ministers in the 182-member assembly.

20 ministers to be sworn-in today

20 ministers including CM Vijay Rupani and Deputy CM Nitin Patel to take oath shortly #Gujarat pic.twitter.com/kxqKgvwgJl

— ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017

Earlier in the day…Modi reached Ahmedabad 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaches #Gujarat's Ahmedabad, to attend swearing-in ceremony of CM elect Vijay Rupani and others pic.twitter.com/nCuypAS5I6

— ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017

Vijay Rupani began his political career in 1974

Rupani honed his political skills in the crucible of the Gujarat Navnirman agitation, a socio-political movement in 1974 by students and the middle-class against economic crisis and corruption in public life.

It soon spread elsewhere, particularly in Bihar, where socialist legend Jayaprakash Narayan gave a call for ‘Total Revolution’. The movement finally led to the fall of Indira Gandhi government and installation of the first non-Congress dispensation at the centre under Morarji Desai.

Rupani, who was then with the ABVP, was jailed for nearly a year during Emergency.

As the Mayor of Rajkot in 1996-97, he endeared himself to people of the city with his initiatives for improvement of civic infrastructure.

PTI

Swearing-in ceremony to be held at 11 am

22 વર્ષથી વિકાસ લગાતાર
6ઠ્ઠી વાર ભાજપ સરકાર #શપથવિધિ_સમારોહ જુઓ લાઇવ pic.twitter.com/6vmj7OJ7wV

— BJP Gujarat (@BJP4Gujarat) December 26, 2017

Visuals of Narendra Modi’s grand welcome

Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves to crowd gathered on his way from the airport in Ahmedabad pic.twitter.com/uXJ3u0UBhP

— ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017

Narendra Modi reaches Ahmedabad 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently reaching the venue. The prime minister is currently undertaking a roadshow amid a rousing welcome.

Feeling blessed after visiting Panchdev Mahadev temple, tweets Rupani

Feeling blessed after offering prayers to Panchdev Mahadev Temple in Gandhinagar. Prayed for Gujarat's welfare. pic.twitter.com/m2cSQ72BaV

— Vijay Rupani (@vijayrupanibjp) December 26, 2017

Rupani to host lunch after swearing-in 

According to The Times of India , Vijay Rupani will be hosting luncheon for Narendra Modi and other guests at the Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar.

Vijay Rupani thanked Narendra Modi, Amit Shah after being elected CM

My sincere gratitude to Honourable PM Shri @narendramodi Ji & BJP President Shri @AmitShah Ji for reposing trust & confidence in a humble Karyakarta like me. I also thank @BJP4Gujarat legislative party for sustaining trust.

— Vijay Rupani (@vijayrupanibjp) December 22, 2017

Vijay Rupani’s previous administrative experience 

A bachelor of law, Rupani was a Rajya Sabha member between 2006 and 2012. It was under him as chairman of the Gujarat Tourism Development Corporation in 2006 that the hugely successful advertisement campaign ‘Khushboo Gujarat Ki’ featuring megastar Amitabh Bachchan was launched to promote the state as a tourism hotspot. He was the chairman of the Gujarat Municipal Finance Board in 2013.

PTI

Cabinet size to be pegged at under 20 for now

According to  The Times of India , Rupani is likely to keep the number of ministers under 20, against the maximum provision of 27 (15 percent of the total number of MLAs). The report added that such a setup will give Rupani the scope for expansion at a later stage.

Replacing Rupani would have sent the wrong message to voters

Rupani was always the front-runner for the CM’s post. Moreover, the BJP knew replacing Rupani at this juncture would send the signal that all is not well. In the recently concluded polls, BJP retained power by winning 99 seats in the 182-member Assembly, while the Congress claimed 77. Six seats went to others, including three Independents.

Rupani promised to look into BJP defeats in key districts 

After his election, Rupani said although over 49 percent vote share in the Assembly polls was a “huge achievement” for the BJP in Gujarat, the party would analyse its defeat in districts like Amreli, Gir-Somnath and Morbi, where it lost a majority of seats.

“We will do an analysis of our defeat in districts where we won fewer seats. We will also interact with the local people (to understand the reasons for it),” he said, adding the government will work for all sections without discrimination.

Vijay Rupani managed to win despite anti-incumbency factor

Rupani was made the chief minister in August last year after his predecessor Anandiben Patel resigned in the wake of the growing Dalit unrest in the state after the Una flogging incident a month before, and the Patidar quota agitation, which had begun on a violent note in 2015.

Rupani, who successfully staved off a spirited challenge from the Congress, overcoming the incumbency factor, farm distress, angst and anger over demonetisation and GST in the state with a large population of traders, will have to show his political sinews and sagacity when Narendra Modi bids for a second shot at power in 2019.

PTI

How the BJP zeroed in on Rupani’s name

Arun Jaitley had said that the central observers asked the MLAs for names for the posts of the leader and deputy leader of the legislature party, and one of them — Bhupendra Sinh Chudasama — suggested Rupani and Patel. Five other MLAs backed Chudasama’s proposal.

The Union minister said he asked the MLAs to come up with more names for the two top posts, but as nobody came forward, Rupani and Patel were declared elected as the leader and deputy leader of the legislature party.

PTI

Rupani’s clean image worked in his favour

Though the BJP retained power in the key western state for a record sixth straight term, there was speculation over whether Rupani would continue to hold the post given the party’s narrow victory. In the recently-concluded Assembly election, the BJP won 99 seats in the 182-member Assembly, the first time its tally slipped below hundred since 1995, while challenger Congress clocked its best in many years, clinching 77. Rupani’s proximity to the top party leadership, his clean and caste neutral image apparently tilted the scales in his favour.

PTI

Rupani was elected BJP legislative party chief on 22 December

Both, Rupani and Patel, were elected unopposed at a meeting of the BJP legislators in the presence of central observers-Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and party general secretary Saroj Pandey. “A proposal to elect Rupani as the leader of the state BJP legislature party and Nitin Patel as the deputy leader of the legislature party has been adopted,” Jaitley told a press conference.

PTI

Rupani, a second-term MLA has made a mark as administrator 

Though the BJP’s tally fell below 100 in a long time, his selection also suggested that the top party leadership wanted continuity before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Though only a second-time MLA, Rupani made a mark as an able administrator.

Rupani, who worked mostly in the party organisation in Gujarat, fought his first Assembly election in 2014, winning a by-election from Rajkot West. This time he won from the same seat with an impressive margin of over 53,000 votes.

PTI

Gujarat Assembly will have a new Speaker

Unlike his previous tenure, Rupani in his second innings will be facing a resurgent, aggressive and numerically largest opposition in decades.

The Gujarat Assembly will also have a new Speaker this time around as the incumbent Ramanlal Vora has also lost the election. Two former chief ministers — Shankar Singh Vaghela and Anandiben Patel — also did not contest.

BJP is looking for a new backward leader to replace Shankar Choudhary

With BJP’s OBC face and Health Minister Shankar Choudhary losing the elections, the BJP is looking for a new backward leader to take his place. The Congress has invested in young leaders like Alpesh Thakor in these elections to mobilise backward communities for future electoral gains.

Similarly, cabinet minister and Dalit leader Atmaram Parmar had lost the elections. The BJP needs to find a suitable replacement for him as well.

Amit Shah reached Ahmedabad on Monday night

રાષ્ટ્રીય અધ્યક્ષશ્રી @AmitShah તેમજ પ્રદેશ પ્રભારીશ્રી @byadavbjp જીનું અમદાવાદ એરપોર્ટ પર સ્વાગત કરતા મુખ્યમંત્રીશ્રી @vijayrupanibjp , નાયબ મુખ્યમંત્રીશ્રી @Nitinbhai_Patel , પ્રદેશ અધ્યક્ષશ્રી @jitu_vaghani , પ્રદેશ સંગઠન મહામંત્રીશ્રી ભીખુભાઇ દલસાણીયા તેમજ પ્રદેશ આગેવાનો pic.twitter.com/QxOeMK1gPR

— BJP Gujarat (@BJP4Gujarat) December 25, 2017

Vijay Rupani and his wife Anjali visit Panchdev temple in Gandhinagar ahead of swearing-in

Vijay Rupani and his wife Anjali visit Panchdev temple in Gandhinagar ahead of swearing-in as #Gujarat chief minister again pic.twitter.com/GFulPCwB9d

— ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017

Modi was BJP’s face during polls but Rupani steered party machinery in Gujarat

Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the BJP’s face in the high-octane election campaign, Rupani, coming from the relatively small Jain community, steered the party machinery in the state, neutralising the incumbency factor against his government and surviving a violent quota stir by the Patidar community, the bedrock of the party’s support base.

That he also successfully contained disenchantment with the government over farm distress in some parts of the state, and economic slowdown due to demonetisation and GST roll-out, also stood him in good stead.

Rupani, a low-profile RSS loyalist who has the trust of Amit Shah

Born in Rangoon (now Yangon, Myanmar) Rupani, 61, joined an RSS shakha as a schoolboy, before graduating to the BJP via the Sangh’s students wing–the ABVP. His unwavering loyalty to the RSS and proximity to BJP chief Amit Shah apparently helped low-profile Rupani clinch Gujarat’s chief ministership for the second time running despite the party’s narrow victory in the recently-concluded Assembly polls.

Strength of Congress, allies in the new House is 80

Six ministers in the previous government lost in the recently-concluded Assembly elections. Assembly Speaker Ramanlal Vora too bit the dust. With 99 MLAs, the BJP has a simple majority in the 182-member Assembly, 16 less than its 2012 tally of 115.

Opposition Congress, which had won 61 seats in 2012, managed to increase its tally to 77. The strength of the Congress and its allies in the new House is 80.

Names doing rounds for Cabinet berths Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, Kaushik Patel, Ganpat Vasava, Dilip Thakor, Babubhai Bokhiria and Pradeepsinh Jadeja

Apart from Rupani and Nitin Patel, six to nine Cabinet and around 15 ministers of state are expected to take oath, party sources said.

“Most of the senior leaders who were ministers in the last government are expected to make it to the ministry,” sources said.

The names doing the rounds for Cabinet berths are Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, Kaushik Patel, Ganpat Vasava, Dilip Thakor, Babubhai Bokhiria and Pradeepsinh Jadeja.

Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and CMs of all BJP-ruled states to be present

The new Gujarat government led by Vijay Rupani will take the oath of office and secrecy at a grand ceremony in Gandhinagar today in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and a galaxy of senior BJP leaders and chief ministers of NDA-ruled states.

Modi, BJP president Amit Shah, chief ministers of all BJP-ruled states and those governed by NDA allies are expected to attend the ceremony, Gujarat BJP chief Jitu Vaghani said.