Small is not beautiful for Modi

Despite initial indications of ushering in "austerity measures" and sending across strong signals to the party to "expect tough decisions". chief minister Narendra Modi has succumbed to pulls and pressures from various quarters to usher in a jumbo Cabinet of 39 members. Governor Sundar Singh Bhandari on Wednesday sworned in two Cabinet rank ministers and 27 ministers of state during the expansion on Wednesday noon in a grand ceremony held in the town hall premises.

Caste and community was the predominant factor in choosing the new team comprising 14 OBCs, 13 Patels, two SCs, three STs, four Brahmins, two Kshatriyas and one Vaishnav. The Cabinet ministers include Ashok Bhatt (health) and Babu ‘Bokhiriya, former minister of state for fisheries, who will now handle irrigation.

The list of ministers of state includes Haren Pandya, Bharat Barot, Mangu Patel, Gordhan Jhadafiya. Hemant Chapatwala, Narayan Patel, Harjivan Patel, Daulat Desai, Devanand Solanki, Mulu Bera, Rhupendra Lakhawala, Ranjitsinh Chavda, Chimanlal Saparia, Liladhar Vaghela, Vadi Patel, Ranchhod Desai, Rajnikant Rajwadi, Ishwar Makwana, Dilip Thakor, Karsan Patel, Mohan Kundaria, Jaswantsinh Bhabhor, Bavku Ughad, Prabhatsinh Chauhan, Jasu Korat, Purshottam Solanki and Sundarsinh Chauhan.

Mr. Modi inducted 12 new faces in the Cabinet on Wednesday while dropping 12 and re-inducting 25 members of the Keshubhai Patel Cabinet. Newly inducted members include BJP general secretary Gordhan Jhadafiya, Daulat Desai, BJP chief whip in the Legislative Assembly Vadi Patel, Ranchhod Desai, Rajnikant Rajwadi, lshwar Makwana, Dilip Thakor, Mohan Kundaria, Bavku Ughad, Jasu Korat and Sundarsinh Chauhan. Those dropped include Vaju Vala, Jaspal Singh, Gabhaji Thakor, Mahendra Trivedi, Parmanand Khattar, Bimal Shah, Dilip Patel, Bipin Shah, Bechar Bhadani, Raman Vora, Kiritsinh Rana and Khoda Patel.

Sources said here that Jaynarayan Vyas, who had been forced to put in his papers for calling former chief minister Keshubhai Patel a liar, had not been discussed during the Cabinet expansion. Later at the Cabinet meeting at 3.30 pm here, Mr. Modi allocated portfolios to the ministers who took the oath of office.

In a reshuffle the health and family welfare was transferred from l.K. Jadeja to Ashok Bhatt. Mr. Jadeja was given the urban development department whereas social justice and empowerment minister Fakir Vaghela was given additional charge of the NRG department.

Labour and employment minister Kanji Patel was given additional charge of the fisheries department, whereas former minister of state for home Haren Pandya got the coveted revenue department, Bharat Barot — food and civil supplies and consumer affairs (independent charge), Gordhan Jhadafiya — police housing, border security (independent charge) and home, Chimanlal Sapariya — roads and buildings (independent charge), Narayan Patel — transport (independent charge), Harjivan Patel — cow protection, Pavitra Yatradham Sanchalan (independent charge) and water supplies, Devanand Solanki — animal husbandry (independent charge), Mulu Bera — mines and minerals (independent charge), Rhupendra Lakhawala — civil defence, gram rakshak dal and home guards (independent charge), Ranjitsinh Chavda — cottage industries, Vajpayee Swarojgar Yojana (independent charge), Liladhar Vaghela — jails (independent charge) and agriculture, Vadi Patel — protocol and cooperation (independent charge), Ranchod Desai — panchayats (independent charge), Rajnikant Rajwadi rural housing (Independent charge) and rehabilitation of houses in rural areas affected by earthquake.

Ishwar Makwana was given youth and cultural affairs and sports (independent charge), Dilip Thakor — prohibition and excise, Karsan Patel welfare for socially and educationally backward class (independent charge), Mohan Kundaria rural development (independent charge), Jaswantsinh Bhabhor — health and family welfare, Bavku. Ughad —petrochemicals (independent charge) and ports, Prabhatsinh Chauhan —tourism and civil aviation, Jasumati Korat — women and child welfare, Purshottam Solanki — fisheries and Sundar Chauhan — labour and employment.

It was clearly a long night for those, deciding upon the Cabinet what with hectic lobbying and high drama going on till last minute for inclusion of Ashok Bhatt, who initially had been dropped due to RSS pressure. It was ultimately former chief minister Keshubhai Patel who prevailed upon Mr. Modi to include Mr. Bhatt.

Discipline ‘also played an important role in the dropping of various names. Jaspal Singh, who had been vocal opponent of, Keshubhai, Mahendra Trigged, who had written poetry against him, Dilip Patel, who had initiated a signature campaign against Mr. Patel, all found their names missing from the list of ministers on Wednesday.

Republished from The Asian Age