Gujarat Cabinet Expansion: Harsh Sanghavi rapidly ascended through the ranks of state politics. He earned a reputation as a youth icon and a trusted close aide of PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah at just 40 years. He was appointed Minister of State (MoS) for Home- a portfolio held by party’s heavyweights like Amit Shah and Pradipsinh Jadeja. He became minister Gujarat’s youngest MoS at the age of 36.
Harsh Sanghavi and his quick rise in BJP
Harsh Sanghavi’s rise wasn’t accidental, right from his beginning of his political career. The move was seen as a strategic decision by the BJP leadership, including Modi, Shah, and then–state chief C.R. Patil, to strengthen administrative control in poll-sensitive Surat, which had witnessed the 2015–16 Patidar quota agitation. In 2012, at 27, he walked into the Gujarat Legislative Assembly as the youngest MLA from the Majura constituency in Surat.
Harsh Sanghavi Education
Based on news reports, Harsh Sanghavi completed his secondary education at Mount Carmel School in Surat. Born on January 8, 1985, Sanghavi started his political career at a young age. He joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) when he was just 14 and became a prominent leader in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during his college years.
Harsh Sanghavi Political Career
He won by a huge margin in 2012, ranking as the fourth-highest vote-getter in the state that year. He successfully defended his seat in 2017 and again in 2022, securing 133,335 votes and a margin of over 116,000 against Aam Aadmi Party’s PVS Sharma — cementing his stronghold in diamond-rich Surat, a key BJP bastion crucial to the party’s fortunes.
Currently, the Bhupendra Patel cabinet has 15 ministers. The reshuffle will see the strength rise to 22 or 23 members, with four to five new ministers being sworn in and around 10 ministers being dropped.
Harsh Sanghavi’s tenure drew both praise and controversy. Seen by many as the “next Amit Shah of Gujarat,” he adopted a tough, law-and-order approach marked by strict policing, fiery speeches, and actions like the 2025 Rander demolition drive. He led major drug busts, launched the Clean Tapi campaign, and organised job fairs for youth.
