Within days of taking over, the Gujarat government faces a crisis of sorts, with Deputy Chief Minister and prominent Patidar leader Nitin Patel sulking over the allocation of portfolios to him and being ''robbed of'' the powerful departments of Finance, Petrochemicals and Urban Development, which he had held.
Patidar leader Hardik Patel has suggested Nitin Patel should break away from the BJP along with his supporting MLAs and join Congress.
Skips office
On Friday, Mr. Patel did not turn up to his office and did not even make any public appearance anywhere. Sources in the government said he had made his displeasure known to the central leadership of the BJP on being given “light weight portfolios” despite he being the Deputy Chief Minister.
In the new government, he has got Roads and Buildings, Narmada, Health, Medical Education and Capital Projects.
According to party insiders, the central leadership is sending a senior leader to mediate and end the crisis.
Hardik's invitation to Nitin
Amid the developments, quota agitation leader Hardik Patel invited Mr. Nitin Patel to join his stir ''to fight for justice'' to the Patidar community.
“Nitinbhai can join in our fight for justice. After all, he got only lollipops in the BJP,” the 24-year-old Mr. Hardik said in Botad, where he is holding a Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) meeting to deliberate and discuss their future strategy.
"Nitinbhai should break from BJP with his MLAs and we will talk to Congress to support him," he said.
Mr. Hardik Patel is likely to go to meet the deputy CM by tomorrow.
Sardar Patel Group (SPG) chief Lalji Patel met Nitin Patel on Saturday. The SPG and PAAS has jointly launched the Patidar quota agitation in 2015.
Meanwhile, Patidar community leaders are pouring to meet Mr Nitin Patel in Ahmedabad.
Differences with CM Vijay Rupani
Differences between Mr. Nitin Patel and Chief Minister Vijay Rupani cropped up on Thursday before the first Cabinet meeting in which Ministers were supposed to be distributed the departments. Due to the differences, the meeting, scheduled to start at 5 p.m., commenced only at 9 p.m. after a marathon meeting at the Chief Minister's residence, where Mr. Rupani, Mr. Nitin Patel and State party president Jitu Vaghani assigned portfolios to Ministers after consultations with the party brass in New Delhi.
“Nitinbhai is upset with not getting the Finance Department,” a senior party leader said, adding, “despite being Deputy Chief Minister, he is not dealing with any important portfolios like Home, General Administration, Industries, Mines and Minerals, Finance, Urban Development or Revenue.”
After the Cabinet meeting, Mr. Rupani, Mr. Nitin Patel and Mr. Vaghani held a press conference in which Mr. Rupani ruled out any differences. Mr. Patel, however, did not talk.
“There were no differences on anything and the government will utilise Nitinbhai’s experiences and expertise,” Mr. Rupani said as Mr. Patel looked on with a sullen face.
In the new government, Mr. Rupani has kept Home, General Administration, Industries, Mines and Minerals, Urban Development and Petrochemicals with himself.
Ex-Minister rehabilitated
Saurabh Patel, who was dropped from the Cabinet when Mr. Rupani took over as Chief Minister in 2016 after a series of allegations of irregularities and nepotism against him surfaced, has been rehabilitated now. He has been given Finance and Energy.
