Harsh Sanghavi Sworn In As Gujarat’s Deputy CM Amid Major Cabinet Reshuffle

Harsh Sanghavi was sworn in as the Gujarat's deputy chief minister today (17 October) following a major cabinet reshuffle that saw all 16 ministers, except Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel resign on Thursday (16 October).

Governor Acharya Devvrat administered the oath to Sanghavi and 25 other ministers at a ceremony at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar.

The cabinet strength now stands at 26, including Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.

The 40-year-old Harsh Sanghavi is known for his rapid rise in state politics and is often regarded as a youth icon, and is said to be a close aide of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

His political career began when he was elected as the youngest MLA from Majura constituency in Surat in 2012 at the age of 27, and he has successfully retained his seat in both 2017 and 2022 elections, defeating opponents with overwhelming margins.

He won the Majura constituency in the 2022 Gujarat assembly polls by defeating Aam Aadmi Party candidate PVS Sarma by 1,16,675 votes.

Harsh Sanghavi is now the sixth individual to hold the position of deputy chief minister in Gujarat.

He held the portfolio of Minister of State for Home in the last cabinet and is a three-time member of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly.

The new cabinet includes three women ministers: Rivaba Jadeja, Darshana Vaghela, and Manisha Vakil, alongside prominent names like former Gujarat BJP chief Jitu Vaghani and Arjun Modhwadia.

The development comes against the backdrop of heightened political activity in Bihar, where elections are scheduled for November.

The move to bring in new faces to the Gujarat cabinet comes just three years into the government's formation, and two years ahead of the 2027 Legislative Assembly elections. Gujarat can have a maximum of 27 ministers, representing 15 per cent of the 182-member assembly. Of the 25 ministers who took oath today, six members retained their positions in the new cabinet.

Please click here to add Swarajya as your preferred and trusted news source on Google

Also Read: Public-Private Partnership To Power Next Phase Of India’s Inland Waterway Logistics At Haldia Multi-Modal Terminal