Gandhinagar, Dec 12 (IANS): Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and his 16 members of cabinet took oath on Monday in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries. Patel has been sworn in as Chief Minister for the second time.

It is smallest cabinet with 17 members including Chief Minister himself. According to the Sarkaria Commission, Chief Minister has prerogative to have cabinet of 25 ministers and so there is a possibility that sooner or later cabinet will be expanded. Some districts and community have yet not got representation in the cabinet.

Others, who have been sworn in as cabinet ministers, are Kanubhai Desai, Raghavji Patel, Rishikesh Patel, Balvantsinh Rajput, Kunvarji Bavalia, Mulubhai Bera, Dr. Kuber Dindor and Bhanuben Babariya.

Those who took oath as state ministers with independent portfolios are Harsh Sanghvi, Jagdish Vishwakarma.

Other state ministers Parshotam Solanki, Khabad Bhachubhai, Mukesh Patel, Praful Panseriya, Bhikhu Parmar and Kunvarji Halpati also took oath on Monday.

Senior leaders, who have been dropped from the past cabinet of Bhupendra Patel and Vijay Rupani by the BJP, are Jitu Vaghani, Jayesh Radadia, Jitu Chaudhary, Naresh Patel, Arjunsinh Chauhan, R.C. Makwana, Vinod Moradiya, Nimishar Suthar and Manisha Vakil.