IAS RM Patel joins BJP, may contest from Asarwa seat

Ahmedabad, 30 September 2012

On his retirement day Rajnikant M Patel (RM Patel) a 1977 batch IAS officer, and additional chief secretary, panchayats, tribal affairs department today joined the BJP.

RM Patel was due to retire in December this year, but he took voluntary retirement to join the BJP. RM Patel may fight Gujarat assembly polls on any seat reserved for Schedule Cast. He lives in Amdavad’s Asarwa area which is declared a reserved seat for Schedule Cast as per the new delimitation.

However speaking to media persons today in Amdavad, RM Patel clarified that he joined the BJP only as a party worker, without any expectations, and he would play whatever role the party assigns to him in future.

The induction ceremony of RM Patel in the BJP took place today evening at Circuit house in Ahmedabad in the presence of Gujarat BJP leader Kaushikbhai Patel and Surendrabhai Patel.

Speaking to media persons, RM Patel said that he had joined the government in 1977 and worked for 35 years in 18 departments including panchayat, tribal development, social welfare and health. He said he was witness to the Chief Minister’s excellent work in the areas of welfare of poor, tribal and backward class people.