Former Gujarat deputy CM Nitin Patel criticises BJP's internal dynamics

AHMEDABAD: At a BJP Sneh Milan event in Kadi, former Deputy Chief Minister and Patidar strongman Nitin Patel delivered a fiery, emotionally charged speech, one that has reignited murmurs of dissent within Gujarats ruling party. Patel, once the face of North Gujarat politics, lamented his exclusion from the regions political map and accused sections of the party of sidelining honest workers while promoting the weak and disreputable. His remarks, laced with sarcasm, pride and pain, have stirred fresh political currents across the state. The BJPs Sneh Milan ceremony at Kadis Umiya Mataji Temple on Tuesday turned into an unexpected political flashpoint when the former Deputy Chief Minister, known for his candour and unfiltered speech, once again poured out his heart before party workers. With biting sarcasm, Patel said, You have excluded me from the North. You made me ex (former). I am not a cheap politician who takes what comes. The statement, aimed more at the party machinery than individuals, reverberated across North Gujarat, setting off an intense debate on the BJPs internal dynamics and its treatment of veterans. Since the 2022 Assembly elections, when the BJP denied him a ticket, Patel has been voicing his frustration, often cloaked in self-respect and sarcasm. His public appearances have increasingly turned into platforms for unfiltered self-expression, making him both the voice of hurt loyalty and the symbol of sidelined seniority within the party. During the event, Patel reminisced about his work in Kadi as an MLA, contrasting his governance with what he implied was moral decay under others. Without naming names but commenting on the recent cabinet reshuffle, he said, Even if someone from a ministers family does wrong, the ministers post is taken away. He declared, I do not keep weak, wrong, or socially disreputable people around me. We left; you expelled me from North Gujarat. His words cut deep, suggesting that political isolation, not public rejection, was behind his exclusion. Recalling his austere public service, Patel said, I used to ride a scooter at night to ensure no octroi theft in Kadi. If anyone has seen me standing at a pan shop, Ill give 50,000. Reiterating his clean image, he thundered, I neither eat nor allow anyone to eat, this is Modi Sahebs slogan, and I live by it. Nitin Patel reminded workers that his politics was people-driven, not position-driven. Nothing happens with the position; it happens with the person. Ability, hard work, reputation, thats what counts, he said, warning that wrong company leads to downfall. He cited examples of ministers dropped from the cabinet, attributing their exclusion to misdeeds of family or followers. The message was unmistakable, guilt by association ruins reputations, a lesson he claimed to have avoided by staying disciplined. Quoting late former Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Patel reminded the crowd, A worker never becomes old. An MLA, minister, or president may, but not a worker. His tone oscillated between nostalgia and rebellion, making it clear he still identifies as a loyal but overlooked soldier of the party. In a parting statement laced with pride and humility, Patel told the crowd, We are not big; you are big, you made us big. I neither take anything nor give anything. But I will never keep black sheep around me. The speech, a mix of defiance, integrity and emotional hurt is now being dissected across Gujarats political corridors. Many see it as Patels indirect protest against the BJPs new power structure, which allegedly seems to have left little space for its old guard.