Hardik Patel said Gujarat Deputy CM Nitin Patel should join the Congress if he can manage to bring along 10 BJP MLAs.
Patidar leader Hardik Patel, who actively campaigned against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the recently-concluded Assembly elections in Gujarat, on Saturday attempted to woo the 'sulking' Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel. Hardik said the Deputy CM, who is believed to be be 'unhappy' with the portfolios allotted to him, should join the Congress party, if he can manage to bring along 10 BJP MLAs.
"If Nitin Patel is ready to leave the BJP with 10 MLAs then I will talk with the Congress about giving him suitable post in the party," Hardik Patel, the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) convener, said.
Hardik also exhorted BJP's Patel leaders to back the deputy chief minister.
"If the BJP is not respecting Patels, then they should leave the party and should accompany Nitin Patel," he said.
The deputy chief minister is reportedly said to be sulking after finance, urban development and petroleum portfolios were taken from him. He is yet to take charge of the portfolios alloted to him, with a source in the BJP saying he has conveyed his displeasure to the party leadership over the departments allotted to him.
The senior BJP leader wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah on Friday evening listing his demands. He has reportedly threatened to resign if he is not given all the portfolios he possessed in the previous government.
"In his letter, Nitin Patel, mentioned that he felt insulted as he has been given less significant portfolios. He has told the PM and Shah that he should get all the portfolios, including Finance and Urban Development, within two to three days or else they should accept his resignation," said a BJP source.
However, Patel has denied writing any such letter, but accepted that he has expressed his disagreement.
Speaking to DNA, Patel said, "There is nothing wrong in asking for my portfolios back as it is about my self-respect. What is the point of being the deputy chief minister if I hold less important portfolios. I have aired my disagreement to the right person. I do not want to talk much on the issue, but will reveal everything when the time is right."
In the previous government, Patel used to handle important portfolios like finance and urban development. However this time, he has been allotted charge of departments like road and building, and health.
Apart from these two, he has also given the charge of medical education, Narmada, Kalpsar and capital project after the portfolios were allotted on December 28.
This time, the finance portfolio was allotted to Saurabh Patel, while Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has kept the charge of urban development department with himself.
(With agency inputs)
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