Expect good representation in Cabinet expansion: Gujarat BJP

The ruling BJP in Gujarat, where Assembly polls is slated for 2017-end, is expecting "good representation" from the state when the Union Cabinet is expanded tomorrow.
"We expect Gujarat to get good representation in the Prime Minister Narendra Modi led cabinet when it is expanded. The expectation stems from the meeting of Gujarat BJP MPs (called by party chief Amit Shah)," said state BJP President Vijay Rupani here today.
Rupani and state BJP spokesperson Bharat Pandya will attend the Cabinet expansion ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Gujarat is represented in the Council of Ministers by Haribhai Chaudhary (MoS Home), Mohan Kundariya (MoS Agriculture) and Mansukh Vasava (MoS Tribal Affairs) - all Lok Sabha MPs. In 2014 general elections, the BJP won all the 26 seats of Gujarat.

If one counts representation from Rajya Sabha, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and HRD Minister Smriti Irani also represent Gujarat.
The names doing the round for getting berth in the Council of Ministers are of recently elected Rajya Sabha member Purshottam Rupala, Lok Sabha MPs Mansukh Mandvaia and Jaswantsinh Bhabhor.

While Rupala and Mandavia are Patels, Bhabhor is a tribal leader of Gujarat BJP.
The induction of new faces from Gujarat in Union Cabinet is expected to be driven by the 2017 state election factor.
Meanwhile, the state BJP has postponed a two-day meet of MPs from Gujarat in view of the Cabinet expansion. The meeting, which was to start today, was called to discuss citizen-related problems in Gujarat and how they can be resolved with help from the Centre.

"The meeting has been postponed due to Cabinet expansion. It will now take place at a later date," Rupani said.