By- Sr Editor Banibrata Datta
(Fantacy Tv Film & Media Institute)
PM Modi, in turn, heaped praise on the state unit, especially its president C R Paatil, and said the victory is owed to the BJP’s organisational strength and its workers, Union minister Pralhad Joshi told reporters after the meeting.
The jubilation in the BJP over its record-breaking win in the Gujarat polls echoed in its parliamentary party meeting today as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was felicitated for the victory.
PM Modi, in turn, heaped praise on the state unit, especially its president C R Paatil, and said the victory is owed to the BJP’s organisational strength and its workers, Union minister Pralhad Joshi told reporters after the meeting.
Sources in the party said PM Modi lauded the BJP’s Gujarat unit as an example of how electoral victory is possible if the party organisation is strong.
The prime minister’s high praise for Mr Paatil, his close confidant, underlines his rising stock within the party following its win in 156 seats in the polls to the 182-member assembly. Modi also praised the party’s national president J P Nadda.
Mr Paatil is known for his micro-management of constituencies down to the booth-level and most households, a factor behind his own win by a record margin of nearly seven lakh votes from the Navsari Lok Sabha seat in 2019.
He is credited for replicating the model to a large extent across the state, leading to a rise in the party’s vote share, which coupled with a split in the opposition votes, helped it in achieving an unprecedented tally.
The BJP was successful in taking its work to the people and ensuring that there was no anti-incumbency at work as it won its seventh assembly polls on the trot, the prime minister said.
In his speech, PM Modi also spoke of India’s G-20 presidency and asked MPs to come out with innovative ideas to involve people in organising various events across the country in the run up to the summit meeting next year.
With numerous foreign delegates expected to attend these meetings to be held in several Indian cities, he said they should be accorded a warm welcome and get glimpses of traditional culture and custom.
Union Minister Ashiwini Vaishnaw gave a presentation on the Indian economy in the meeting. Citing international publications, he said India is a bright spot among top seven countries.
Citing the data of last several decades, the presentation stated that inflation and unemployment were always higher in Congress governments and lower in BJP governments. Bank credit is the highest in many years, while capacity utilisation in industry has increased, he said.
Sri Bhupendra Patel was sworn in as CM of Gujarat Gandhinagar’s t Helipad Ground. The ceremony was attended by PM Narendra Modi and top BJP leaders, including Union ministers and chief ministers of state ruled by the party. Patel won the Ghatlodia seat with the highest margin of 1.92 lakh votes in the elections.In the just-concluded Gujarat assembly elections,the BJP won record 156 seats.
PM Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on stage, Shri Bhupendra Patel takes oath as Gujarat CM for second time.
Sri Bhupendra Patel was sworn in as the 18th Chief Minister of Gujarat on Monday in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, senior Union Ministers and several Chief Ministers of the BJP ruled States.
Along with him, eight other Cabinet Ministers, two Ministers of State (MoS) with Independent Charge and five MoS were sworn in in a gala event in Gandhinagar.
Gujarat Governor Acharya Devrat administered the oath of office and secrecy to the Chief Minister and his Cabinet members.
After the swearing-in ceremony, the first Cabinet meeting was held at the Secretariat where the Ministers were allocated the departments.
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Accordingly, Kanubhai Desai was given the important portfolios of Finance, Energy and Petrochemicals, which he held in the previous government also. Another Cabinet Minister Rushikesh Patel got Health and Family Welfare and Law and Justice and Legislative Affairs.
Both Mr. Desai and Mr. Patel have also been appointed as the Cabinet spokesperson.
Harsh Sanghavi, Minister of State for Home in the previous government, has again allotted the portfolio of Home and Industries as MoS and Transport, Youth & Culture and Sports as Independent charge.
A notable entry into the Cabinet is Balwantsinh Rajput, a Congress turncoat who had taken on Congress veteran leader Ahmed Patel in a Rajya Sabha election in 2017. Mr. Rajput won from his traditional Sidhpur seat in north Gujarat and has been given important portfolios of Industries, Labour and Employment and Civil Aviation.
Mr. Rajput himself is an industrialist and education baron in the State.
Another Congress turncoat in the Cabinet is Kuvarji Bavalia, who has been given the departments like Water Resources, Food and Civil supply. He was a Minister in the Rupani government.
From the previous government, several senior Ministers have been dropped including Education Minister Jitu Vaghani, Tourism and Transport Minister Purnesh Modi, Tribal Development Minister Jitu Chaudhari and environment and Forest Minister Kiritsinh Rana.
According to sources; the Cabinet will be expanded with induction of eight to ten new Ministers in the next round, but there is no clarity regarding when this expansion is expected to happen.
Also, those who were expected to make in the new Cabinet like a major face in the Cooperative Sector Shankar Chaudhary, former Vadodara MP and recently elected MLA Balu Shukla and former Rajya Sabha member and leading Dalit leader Shambhu Prasad Tundia did not find place in the first round.
Rajkot (rural) legislator Bhanuben Babaria has been given the portfolio of Social Justice and Empowerment and Women and Child Development.
