Gujarat's BJP government changes portfolios of two ministers; AK, Sisodia to visit state Monday

Two senior ministers in the Gujarat Cabinet have had their portfolios reshuffled just months before the scheduled assembly polls, underscoring the Bhupendra Patel administration's urgency to get its house in order amid recent AAP bids to alter the texture of the state's hitherto bipolar polity.

Revenue minister Rajendra Trivedi and road and building minister Purnesh Modi have had their portfolios changed in the latest rejig. Trivedi will now handle disaster management, law and justice, legislative and parliamentary affairs, while Modi will look after transport, civil aviation, tourism and pilgrimage development.

Both revenue and road and building portfolios have been taken over by the chief minister. MoS Home Harsh Sanghvi has been assigned the revenue department and MoS Industries Jagdish Panchal has been given the charge of road and building.


The rejig further cements the position of the youngest minister Harsh Sanghvi, who has already been handling the home department.

Senior BJP sources told ET the latest reshuffle, involving the two senior ministers, shows the party won't tolerate indiscipline and corruption. "Both of them were projecting more of themselves than was acceptable," said a party functionary, who declined to be named.

Gujarat's roads have been witnessing a steady decline lately, with images of potholes dominating public discourse. Modi recently attributed the road conditions to excessive rains. He also developed an android application asking citizens to complain about the damaged roads.

AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal is scheduled to visit Gujarat on Monday along with Manish Sisodia.