Vaghela Adds 20 Ministers To Cabinet

He kept most of the plum portfolios with himself, as many as 16 of them, in apparent expectation of more defections from the Bharatiya Janata party. Many of those inducted are late-corners to the MJP.It is a three-tier government with 13 cabinet ministers, eight ministers of state and six deputy ministers.

A feature of the expansion is that at least three of his trusted loyalists, who were also ministers in the BJP government, have been ignored. They are C K Raulji, former transport minister, Khumansinh Vanshia and Vipul Chaudhury, minister of state and deputy minister respectively in the erstwhile Suresh Mehta cabinet. It was at Chaudhurys farmhouse that the rebel MLAs were housed before being smuggled to Khajuraho during Vaghelas showdown with the BJP.

And it was from Rauljis Panchmahal constituency of Godhra that Vaghela fought the last elections and lost to his Congress rival.

Both Chaudhury and Vanshia belong to the sensitive north Gujarat region including Vaghelas home district of Mehsana as well as Banaskantha and Sabarkantha districts which are industrially important.

Three other loyalists, Ranjitsinh Jhala, Hargobind Upadhyaya and Mansinh Chahan are reported by the Gujarati press to have held late-night discussions on Thursday with the Chief Minister and offered to stay out of the government in favour of organisation work.

Cabinet ministers in the new government (with portfolios) are Dilip Parikh (Industry & Mines), Vithalbhai Rathadia (Co-operation & Tourism), Atmaram Patel (Revenue), Madubhai Thakore (Panchayat & Welfare), Anil Joshiara (Health, Family & Adivasi Welfare), Jesabhai Barat (Food & Civil Supplies), Kantibhai Solanki (Social & Harijan Welfare), Babbhai Meghjibhai Shah (Finance & Water Resources), Virendrasinh Jala (Law & Order), Raghavji Patel (Sports & Youth Services), Umeshbhai Rajguru (Ports), Ranjitsinh Jhala (Agriculture & Rural Development) and Baghubhai Patel (Environment & Technical Education).

The ministers of state are Popatbhai Janjharia (Welfare of Socially & Educationally Backward), Amritlal Patel (Agriculture & Dairies - independent), Motibhai Vasava (Forests - Ind.), Mohanbhai Patel (Irrigation - ind.), Vithalbhai Shah (Food & Civil Supplies, Legislative & Parliamentary Affairs - ind.), Girish Parmar (Labour & Employment - ind.), Dr K C Patel (Health, Family & Adivasi welfare) and Jayendra Khatri (Rural Development & Housing).

The deputy ministers are Manibhai Patel (Agriculture, Dairies & Narmada Development), Bachubhai Sendria (Harijan Welfare & Tourism), Lakshmanbhai Parmar (Irrigation, Water Resources, Fisheries & Marine Wealth), Jesabhai Goria (Social Welfare & Drought Relief), Raisinh Parmar (Rural Housing & Adivasi Welfare) and Pratapsinh Patel (Forests).