Political activity in Gujarat is reaching a peak as the much-awaited Cabinet expansion in the Bhupendra Patel-led government is set to take place this week. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has directed all its MLAs to remain in Gandhinagar on October 16 and 17, signalling that the swearing-in ceremony for new ministers could occur soon.
Party insiders suggest that the expansion may happen during the auspicious &ldquo;Vijay Muhurat&rdquo; at 12:39 pm on Friday, with several central BJP leaders expected to arrive from Delhi by Thursday night.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel is scheduled to visit Mumbai on Thursday morning, returning by 3 pm, after which he will meet Governor Acharya Devvrat to finalise the swearing-in schedule. The Governor, who had been in Kurukshetra, has reportedly cut short his visit to reach Gujarat by Thursday morning.
Preparations for the ceremony are already underway. Cleaning and arrangements are in progress at Raj Bhavan banquet hall and Swarnim Sankul-2 at Sachivalaya, where three previously closed offices have been reopened to accommodate the new ministerial allocations. The oath-taking is likely to be held either at Raj Bhavan or Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar.
The swearing-in list was finalised during a nearly five-hour Delhi meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Patel, State BJP President Jagdish Vishwakarma, and Organisational Secretary Ratnakar.
Sources indicate that around 16 new faces could join the Cabinet, while 11 sitting ministers may be dropped. The reshuffle is expected to bring in younger and more prominent leaders, strengthening the party ahead of the upcoming local body elections and setting the stage for the 2027 Assembly elections.

BJP MLAs told to stay in Gandhinagar as Cabinet expansion nears conclusion

Cabinet Expansion in Gujarat Likely This Friday

BJP MLAs told to stay in Gandhinagar as Cabinet expansion nears conclusion

October 16, 2025 | 01:00 IST