Bhupendra’s balancing act

Surat/Ahmedabad: The brand new Cabinet of chief minister Bhupendra Patel clearly had a stamp of south Gujarat strongman and state BJP president CR Paatil with as many as seven MLAs from the region got ministerial berths.
With 2022 elections just 15 months away, the new CM tried a smooth balancing of both caste and regional equations by roping in Patidars, tribals, OBCs and Brahmins in the new government.The challenge clearly for the new ministers is performance given that none of them have any experience in government administration and the short time before the polls.
According to sources, this is the highest representation in the state government so far for South Gujarat and observers believe that the veteran Paatil, an MP from Navsari, played a pivotal role for his region.
There are three Cabinet ministers, two ministers of state (independent charge) and two ministers of state from the region. Importantly, Purnesh Modi from Surat east got the key portfolio of roads and housing, transport, civil aviation, tourism and Yatradham vikas while Kanu Desai from Pardi got the important finance and energy department.
Within BJP cadres, there is a feeling of rejuvenation as many feel that the young faces will give their heart and soul into people’s work.
Central Gujarat too saw the number of ministers doubling to eight in the new Cabinet. The region had only four ministers in the Rupani government that included two from Ahmedabad city - Pradipsinh Jadeja and Kaushik Patel. However, the new dispensation has eight ministers with Kheda also getting a representation. Vadodara city which only had Yogesh Patel as the minister saw Rajendra Trivedi and Manisha Vakil to get place.
For the first time, there are more than one ministers from scheduled castes with Vadodara’s Manisha Vakil and Asarwa MLA Pradip Parmar getting inducted in the government.
"In 2017 assembly polls, BJP was down to just 99 seats but central and South Gujarat firmly remained with the party. Tribal belt is now the backbone of the saffron party and it has been rewarded by giving more ministers,” said a political observer.
Patidars of course account for nearly one-third of the ministries with as many as seven from the community taking the oath. The tallest among them is Jitu Vaghani, the former state BJP president, who got the key portfolio of education.
Interestingly, Visnagar MLA Rushikesh Patel, who had earned the wrath of Patidars during the 2015 quota stir, was chosen to head the health ministry which was held by former deputy CM Nitin Patel. Both are from Mehsana district.
Also, Bhupendra Patel has compensated the dropping of some senior ministers by giving a chance to other MLAs from their district. For example, while veteran Bhupendrasinh Chudsama was dropped, Mehemdabad MLA Arjunsinh Chauhan got the coveted Cabinet portfolio of rural development.
Kolis, who form a huge chunk of voter population, got two ministers in Keshod MLA Deva Malam and Mahuva MLA RC Makwana as senior ministers Kunvarji Bavaliya and community strong man Purushottam Solanki were dropped.