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The Cabinet includes Vajubhai Vala, Narottam Patel, Anandiben Patel, Nitin Patel, Dilip Sanghani, Fakirbhai Vaghela, Jainarayan Vyas, Ramanlal Vora, and Mangubhai Patel. The inducted Ministers of State are Amit Shah, Saurabh Patel, Jaswantsinh Bhabhor, Kiritsinh Rana, Parsottam Solanki, Parbat Patel, Maya Kodnani, Jaisinh Chauhan, and Vasan Ahir.
The notable dropouts include senior Minister Ashok Bhatt who is now scheduled to become the next Speaker according to sources in the BJP. Others dropped were all Ministers of State — Anil Patel, Bharat Barot, Mulu Bera, Sundarsinh Chauhan, Bhupendra Lakhawala, and Jasuben Korat.
Jainarayan Vyas, Fakirbhai Vaghela, Nitin Patel, and Dilip Sanghani, who had lost the 2002 elections, are some of the significant political inclusions this time. Of these, Vyas and Vaghela are known to have flirted with the Keshubhai Patel-led rebel camp, and have not shied from sporting an independent image, which might provide ground for some fireworks in the Cabinet.
Modi also inducted five new faces in Kiritsinh Rana, Parbat Patel, Maya Kodnani, Jaisinh Chauhan, and Vasan Ahir — as Ministers of State, in the Cabinet.
Castewise, the 18-strong Ministry has four OBCs (Vajubhai Vala, Jaisinh Chauhan, Parbatsinh Patel, and Vasan Ahir); four Kadva Patels (Narottam Patel, Anandiben, Nitin Patel, and Saurabh Patel); one Leuva Patel (Dilip Sanghani); two Dalits (Fakirbhai Vaghela and Ramanlal Vora); two tribals (Mangubhai Patel and Jaswantsinh Bhabhor); one brahmin (Jainarayan Vyas); one Koli (Parsottam Solanki); one Jain (Amit Shah); and one kshatriya (Kiritsinh Rana).
However, as far as the region is concerned, north Gujarat took the cake with a total of seven making it to the Modi Ministry — Anandiben Patel (Patan), Nitin Patel (Kadi), Jainarayan Vyas (Sidhpur), Fakirbhai Vaghela (Vadgam), Ramanlal Vora (Irad), Parbatsinh Patel (Vav), and Jaisinh Chauhan (Prantij). North was followed by Saurashtra-Kutch with six Ministers — Vajubhai Vala (Rajkot-II), Dilip Sanghani (Amreli), Saurabh Patel (Botad), Kiritsinh Rana (Limbdi), Parsottam Solanki (Ghogha), and Vasan Ahir (Bhuj).
Central Gujarat that has been the Achilles’ heel of the BJP this election saw a step motherly treatment with a lone Minister of State — Jaswantsinh Bhabhor (Randhikpur).
South Gujarat fared a little better, so to say, with just two ministers —Mangubhai Patel and Narottam Patel, leaving it to speculation that the next expansion could come up soon to fill in the regional imbalance.
FROM THE SIDE
* Confusion marked the swearing-in of Vajubhai Vala when half way through his oath of office he was asked to finish and sign on the papers. It transpired that Governor Naval Kishore Sharma had misplaced the page that constitutes the oath of secrecy, and on finding it later, asked Vala to return and complete his oath of "office and secrecy".
* Minister Nitin Patel was probably not informed well in advance that he is part of the Cabinet, and so searched for a pen to sign after being administered the oath of office by the Governor. A perplexed administrative staff rushed and distributed pens to the other ministers so that the faux pas was not repeated.
* Chief Minister Narendra Modi's ideological ally in his Friday team, Minister of State Amit Shah was greeted with the loudest applause from the Ahmedabad crowd. He was also the only minister who touched Modi's feet.
* Missing from the early Friday morning ceremony was the traditional saffron jingoism generally associated with BJP programmes. Vande Mataram replaced Jai Shri Ram, and most ministers came in their regular attire. Only two ministers sported saffron jackets, while one — Jainarayan Vyas even chose a formal trouser-shirt combination over a politician's trademark kurta-pajama.
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