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Saturday, March 14, 1998

Keshubhai adds 28 more to his ministry

PRESS TRUST OF INDIA  
GANDHINAGAR, March 13: The 10-day-old Keshubhai Patel Ministry in Gujarat was expanded with induction of 28 members, who were sworn in at a simple ceremony held at Raj Bhavan here this morning.

The ministers, including 11 of Cabinet rank, 13 Ministers of State and four Deputy Ministers, were administered the oath of office and secrecy by State Governor Krishnapal Singh.

The three-tier ministry is headed by 68-year-old veteran BJP leader Patel, who was sworn in as the twentieth chief minister of the State on March 4 after completion of the State Assembly election process.

The strength of the BJP ministry has now gone upto 29. Speaker of the dissolved Assembly Gumansinh Vaghela, chief secretary LNS Mukundan, political party leaders, MPs and MLAs, leading citizens and government officials attended the ceremony on the lawns of Raj Bhawan.Cabinet Ministers: Suresh Mehta, Vajubhai Vala, Ashok Bhatt, Fakirbhai Vaghela, Kanjibhai Patel, NitinPatel, Jaynarayan Vyas, Narottam Patel, Jaspal Singh, Gabhaji Thakor and Savji Korat.

Ministers of State: Kaushik Patel, Mukund Trivedi, Haren Pandya, Dilip Patel, Anandiben Patel, Maganbhai Patel, Raman Vora, Hemant Chapatwala, Muru Bera, Magan Kashundra, Babubhai Bhokhari, Kiritsinhji Rana and Bimal Shah.Deputy Ministers: Harjivan Patel, Khodabhai Patel, Prabhat Chauhan and Purshottam Solanki.

Among the old faces, former chief minister Suresh Mehta, Jaspal Singh and Savji Korat have been given Cabinet rank. Most of the old faces were members of the first BJP ministry headed by Keshubai in 1995.

This time, Jaynarayan Vyas has been made a Cabinet rank minister.Earlier, Jaspal Singh and Korat were ministers of State. Gabhaji Thakor, who had resigned and rejoined the BJP, has been also alloted a Cabinet rank.

Out of the 13 Ministers of State, eight were new faces including Anandiben Patel, former Rajya Sabha MP.

Eight of the Ministers of State were earlier in the Patel Ministry as well as Suresh Mehtagovernment.

The deputy ministers Harjivan Patel, Khodabhai Patel Prabhat Chauhan and Pursottam Solanki were new faces.

All the ministers took the oath in Gujarati.

Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.

Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.



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