All’s well that ends well, - this is how one of the top BJP leaders at the party’s Gujarat headquarters– Shri Kamalam reacted after Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel agreed to take charge of his office on Sunday.
In fact the kind of critical situation arises since Thursday, most of the BJP loyalists heaved a sigh of relief with the three day long issue of portfolio allocation resolved.
Nitin Patel who apparently not happy with the portfolios given to him by openly raising the issue of self-respect and refusing to accept charge of his office for three days. It was only after the intervention of the party’s high command he decided to take charge of his office. Later on it was announce that he would get Finance portfolio in addition to all his current portfolios.
Talking to media personnel the Deputy CM said that he was assured by the BJP president Amit Shah that he would get important portfolio deserving his post. In the previous Government, Patel as Deputy CM held important portfolios including Finance, Urban Development, Road & Building, Capital Projects, Narmada, Kalpsar and Petrochemicals in the last Rupani Government.
In the new Government, he was stripped off his old key portfolios of Finance, Urban Development and Petroleum. He was given comparatively Road & Building, Health & Family welfare, Medical Care, Narmada, Kalpsar and capital project.
Sources close to the development said that Patel had demanded for Finance and Urban Development Department, but the party high command decided to give him Finance back as part of compromise formula.
“Nearly 5000 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,” Patel said adding that there was no chance of quitting the party or joining the Congress.
In fact large number of Patel’s supporters gathered outside his residence at Ahmedabad and went on to give Mehsana ‘bandh’ on Monday to express their solidarity. After resuming charge, Patel requested his supporter to withdraw Mehsana Bandh. The strong Patidar leader retained his seat in 2017 Assembly polls from Mehsana constituency in North Gujarat despite pro-quota agitation led by Hardik Patel.
After he got Finance Department, his supporters back in Mehsana celebrated his ‘moral victory’ by bursting fire-crackers and fireworks. Initially finance portfolio was given to Saurabh Patel and Urban Development and Petrochemicals were kept by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani himself.
“I have no problem handing over Finance portfolio to Nitinbhai,” remarked Saurabh Patel who will now hold only one Power (electricity) portfolio as Cabinet Minister. On the other hand CM Rupani showed maturity by saying that he informed the Governor about the change of portfolios in his Council of Ministers after consultation with party high command.
Senior BJP leaders in Gujarat held series of meeting with the 61-year-old sulking Nitin Patel. Those senior leaders who met him on Saturday include Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, Kaushik Patel, Pradeepsinh Jadeja and Babu Jamana Patel. Late in the night V Shatish also rushed to Ahmedabad from Delhi to placate Patel.
It is worth mentioning, the high voltage political drama that created in and around Nitin Patel’s residence since Saturday morning put many BJP sympathizers in worry and some of them feared Patel would resort to rebel with the support of Congress party. In fact pro-quota leaders including Lalji Patel of Sardar Patel Group (SPG) held a meeting with Deputy CM and started demanding to make Nitin Patel Chief Minister replacing Vijay Rupani. Many from the Patidar community too echoed the same.
Another pro-quota Patidar leader Hardik Patel went on to say that Nitin Patel should leave BJP and join Congress in the interest of Patidar community. He indirectly offered to become link between Congress leadership and Nitin Patel.