Gandhinagar: BJP state In-charge Dinesh Sharma today denied that the designated deputy chief minister Nitin Patel was angry with the party for allegedly ‘dumping’ him during the countdown for the selection of the new candidate for the Chief Minister’s post.

Talking to media persons here after meeting the governor to stake claim for the formation of the new government under designated Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, the sate in-charge of BJP, Dinesh Sharma said,’ Nitinbhai is not at all angry or aggrieved.’

On being asked that if Mr Patel was not aggrieved then why he arrived late today at the residence of incumbent education minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama where the party leaders assembled before going to Rajbhavan, the party in-charge said,’ It was not correct to say that Nitinbhai was late. He in-fact arrived 10 minutes earlier.The time to meet the governor was 1145 am and he arrived at 1135. What would you call it anger or pleasure’

He said that Mr Patel did not made the designated CM wait. ‘Mr Rupani was not only the designated CM but also the incumbent state president of BJP. He himself came early to meet people,’ Mr Sharma claimed

To another query regarding absence of the outgoing chief minister Mrs Anandiben Patel during the Rajbhavan visit of Mr Rupani today to stake claim for the formation of his government, Mr Sharma without directly addressing it only said that it was Mrs Patel’s proposal that got Mr Rupani elected as her successor.

Earlier, Mr Rupani and his deputy Nitin Patel today met Governor O P Kohli here along with BJP state unit in-charge Dinesh Sharma and other leaders to stake claim to form the new government in the event of their selection as the leader and deputy leader of the BJP legislature party in the wake of the resignation of outgoing CM Mrs Anandiben Patel. and to request him to invite them for oath taking.

DeshGujarat