Once Gujarat Congress chief Arjun Modhwadia sworn in as BJP minister

The Indian political setup in Gujarat witnessed another shift as veteran leader Arjun Modhwadia, who spent most of his career with the Congress, was sworn in on Friday as a cabinet-rank minister in the BJP government headed by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. The 68-year-old politician has been assigned crucial portfolios forests and environment, climate change, and science and technology.A well-known figure in Gujarat politics, Modhwadia followed a classic Congress trajectory before his dramatic crossover to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2024. With his induction, he becomes the second former Congress leader, after Kunvarji Bavaliya, to hold a ministerial berth in the state council.

Porbandar MLA Arjun Modhwadia takes oath as Minister. He had been in the past Gujarat Congress President and also Leader of Opposition in the State assembly, when present Prime Minister Narendrabhai Modi was Chief Minister in Gujarat. He joined BJP in March 2024. pic.twitter.com/G3TXZonPGj

— DeshGujarat (@DeshGujarat) October 17, 2025

Modhwadia began his legislative journey in 2002 by winning the Porbandar seat and retained it in 2007. His political rise was swift  he served as Leader of the Opposition in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly from 2004 to 2007 and later became the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president in 2011. However, after a defeat to Babu Bokhiria in the 2012 elections, he stepped down from the post.He returned to the assembly as a Congress MLA in 2022 but quit the party in March 2024, asserting that he joined the BJP “without any expectations.” Modhwadia stated that his primary goal was to contribute to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of making India a developed nation. Soon after, he was fielded by the BJP in the Porbandar bypoll, where he registered an emphatic victory by over 1.16 lakh votes,according to information.
His elevation to the cabinet underscores the BJP’s strategy of absorbing seasoned leaders from rival parties. Modhwadia now joins a growing list of former Congress leaders who have switched allegiance to the saffron camp and been entrusted with key responsibilities in Gujarat’s political hierarchy.

(State Correspondent)