Besides Advani and Laxman, Kashiram Rana (Surat), Harin Pathak (Ahmedabad) and Dr Vallabh Kathiria (Rajkot) have been inducted into the 70-member BJP ministry. Advani and Rana continue to be Cabinet ministers, while the rest have been accommodated as Ministers of State.

The selection displays an application of mind -- all regions of the State are represented in the Union ministry -- while confirming the Central BJP leadership's eagerness to improve Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel's stock in the State party unit.

While the party's electoral performance has silenced Keshubhai's critics in the party, the large representation from Gujarat at the Centre is a message from the BJP central leadership to disgruntled elements in the State that it stands by Patel.

Among the new faces at the Centre is Harin Pathak, the suave, sweet-tongued Ahmedabad MP, who was elected to Parliament for the fifth consecutive term. Pathak rose from the ranks to become a municipal corporator in 1975; in 1989 he was elected as an MP and has maintained his winning streak since then. Even as a junior party worker, Pathak was among the blue-eyed boys of several leaders.

Described as `chhote Vajpayee' for his oratorial skills, Pathak represents the moderates in the BJP and was a close associate of Shankersinh Vaghela at one time. He dodged several attempts by the hardliners in the party to get him defeated; the worst was in the 1996 after Vaghela revolted against the Keshubhai Patel Government.

Dr Kathiria is a cancer surgeon and an LlB; his bio-data boasts of his associations with nearly two dozen medical bodies and committees. A close confidant of Keshubhai, he has won the Rajkot seat three times. In 1998, he won with a record margin of a whopping 3.54 lakh. His induction has been welcomed by all quarters in Saurashtra.

Incidentally, this is the first time that Saurashtra finds representation in the Union Cabinet after Manubhia Kotadia, who was a minister in the Janata Dal government of V P Singh. Reports from Rajkot indicate that local BJP leaders, commoners, industry associations and medical practitioners -- active participants in Kathiria's campaign -- are jubilant about his appointment. Dr Kathiria has worked actively for rural development in his constituency in the past seven years; he has also helped build several check dams to solve water problems in the area.

Rajya Sabha member from Gujarat, Bangaru Laxman, though from South India, has toured the State extensively as chairman of the BJP's Scheduled Caste Morcha. He was a member of several public sector joint negotiating councils like BHEL and FCI. Associated with the Jana Sangh since 1969, Laxman is widely respected as a senior labour leader.

State BJP general secretary Gordhan Jadaphia told reporters on Wednesday evening that Gujarat was grateful to Vajpayee for giving a large representation to the State. He described it as a reward for the party's sterling electoral performance.

BJP wants more
State BJP general secretary Gordhan Jadaphia on Wednesday said that a State party delegation to Delhi led by Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel had requested the central BJP leadership to accommodate in some central organisation or committee at least one MP from among the five tribal seats the party has snatched away from the Congress. He added, however, that the State BJP was ``completely satisfied'' with the ministerial representation of Gujarat.