Surat: Harsh Sanghavi was sworn in as Gujarat’s Deputy Chief Minister today, 17 October after a major cabinet reshuffle and in this reshuffle, all 16 ministers except Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, resigned on Thursday, 16 October, yesterday.
Sanghavi began his political journey in 2012 when he was elected as the youngest MLA from the Majura constituency in Surat at the age of 27. Since then, he has won two more elections in 2017 and 2022, defeating his opponents by large margins.
The 40-year-old Harsh Sanghavi is known for his fast rise in state politics and is seen as a youth icon. He is also considered a close associate of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
He had previously been known by his accomplishments and was also featured on Hello Entrepreneurs Magazine 40 Under 40 , where he also gave some of his thoughts on his experience and goals. Sanghavi said that he was grateful to the magazine to have the interesting story.
The Gujarat BJP together with Harsh Sanghavi announced a new 25 member cabinet, including 19 new faces. The reshuffle represents the bid to inject new vigor and representation of various groups of people throughout the state. It has eight OBCs, six Patidars, four tribals, three SCs, two Kshatriyas, one Brahmin, one Jain, in the cabinet. This multicultural composition is viewed as a step to equalize political representation coupled with building up of governance.
The wife of the Indian cricketer Ravindra Jadeja, Rivaba Jadeja, was also sworn to be a minister, becoming a participant in the politics of Gujarat. To ensure continuity in some of the key portfolios, the reshuffle retained six ministers including Sanghavi in their same positions.
One day prior to the reshuffle, all the 16 ministers except the Chief Minister resigned and this allowed the new lineup of the cabinet. This is a normal political act in Gujarat that will guarantee a peaceful change and reallocation of roles. The new cabinet will be keen on development, welfare, and good governance in the state.
The elevation of Harsh Sanghavi as the Deputy Chief Minister is also being regarded as the acknowledgment of his leadership competencies and contribution to the politics of Gujarat. His career at such a comparatively young age is also a sign of ambition, hard work and an increasingly important contribution to the policy making process in the state. According to political analysts, Sanghavi will bring a new twist to governance and increased emphasis on youth and development projects.
At Raj Bhavan, the oath taking exercise was characterized by a very formal but festive tone, and family members, party leaders, and officials came up to the occasion. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel welcomed all the new ministers and he stressed that all should work together and fulfil the hopes of the people of Gujarat. observers would be keen on observing how these changes can be realised in terms of governance and development on the ground.
