Gujarat’s Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel has won his “battle of prestige” with the BJP leadership conceding to his demand for important portfolios by allocating the crucial finance department, which was earlier given to Saurabh Patel.
Mr. Patel assumed charge of his office on Sunday morning after the party president Amit Shah called him to convey that his demand for suitable portfolios has been accepted and a proper announcement will be made from Gujarat.
“Amitbhai called me this morning at 7.30 and communicated that my prestige will be maintained and assured to allot a suitable portfolio", Mr. Patel told reporters in Ahmedabad, maintaining that he was not fighting for any post but for his “prestige and self respect.”
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On Sunday afternoon after Mr. Patel took the charge of his office, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani announced that as per the decision taken by the party high command, finance department has been handed over to Nitin Patel and a letter in this regard was sent to the State Governor O.P. Kohli.
"As a senior and experienced minister having served as No: 2 position with previous chief ministers, it was expected that suitable portfolios would be allotted. But this time, for some reason, that couldn't happen and three of my earlier held portfolios — finance, urban development and petroleum — were taken away from me. I had expressed my feelings to the Chief Minister and also to the party high command, including the party president Amit Shah," Mr. Patel said, stressing that he never threatened to resign from the party as was reported in a section of media.
As per the original allocation of portfolios, finance was given to Saurabh Patel besides energy while CM had kept urban development and petroleum departments earlier handled by his deputy. However, now with finance back to Deputy CM, only energy has been left with Saurabh Patel.
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The 61-year-old widely-experienced leader’s sulking over the portfolio allocation came as a major challenge to the newly elected BJP government. That the party high command had to yield to Mr. Patel’s tantrums show that with 99 seats, it’s lowest tally in Gujarat since 1995, the BJP government will have to walk a tightrope and can no longer take any leader, particularly seniors like Mr. Patel, for granted.
“He has extracted what he wanted and also exposed the party’s vulnerability and how it can now easily be blackmailed,” a top insider in the government said.
Earlier on Thursday, the first cabinet meeting of the new Rupani government was delayed for four hours as series differences cropped up between CM and his deputy regarding the portfolios allocation.
Mr. Patel had reportedly told the CM that he was not happy with some of the 'low-profile' portfolios while distancing himself from the government and refraining from taking charge from next day.
In what was seen as a show-of-strength on Saturday, heavy rush was seen outside Patel's residence in Ahmedabad on Saturday, as Patidar community rallied behind Mr. Patel, who emerged as the tallest leader of the community.
Besides his supporters, some of the elected MLAs and RSS leaders, Patidar quota supporter and Sardar Patel Group leader Lalji Patel also visited him at his residence, expressing their support to him in his fight for “prestige.”
Spearhead of the quota agitation, Hardik Patel also asked Mr. Patel to break away from BJP after the party offered him “lollipop.”
A Patidar community social group Sardar Patel Group (SPG) even called for a Mehsana, Nitin Patel’s constituency and epicentre of Patidar quota agitation, bandh on January 1 to protest against 'injustice' to Mr. Patel.
“About 4,000-5,000 people, from all age-groups and all sections of the society from villages and cities, visited me at my residence. I thank all of them for extending their support to me. I will continue to work for the party and the state,” Mr. Patel said while assuming his office in the state capital.