Surat: Ever since his public drama over powerful and creamy portfolios, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel is facing a series of snubs from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Patel and Modi were face to face for the first time when Modi arrived at Ahmedabad airport during the visit of Israeli Prime Minister. Nitin Patel was standing third after Governor and Chief Minister to receive the Prime Minister at the airport. Modi who was in the past seen joking with Nitin Patel at such occasions, didn’t event look at him this time.

Ditto happened when Modi visited Surat this week. He received rose from Nitin Patel but completely ignored him.

Modi asked Chief Minister Rupani to get into his car during the 8.5 km journey from Surat airport to Lalbhai Contractor stadium. At the stadium where Modi flagged off the Marathon run, Nitin Patel was not given a seat next to Modi. While on one side of Modi there was Vijay Rupani, on the other side there was State BJP president Jitubhai Vaghani. Nitin Patel was given seat next to Jitu Vaghani.

In his address, Modi mentioned Vijay Rupani as popular Chief Minister but Nitin Patel was mentioned without his post and in a lot of other dignitaries.

It should be noted here that after the BJP was reelected to power last December, Nitin Patel was continued as Deputy Chief Minister but without the portfolio of Finance and Urban Development. Nitin Patel sulked in reaction and took the matter to media and public. After three-day drama he was given Finance portfolio. He was however not given the portfolio of Urban Development ministry. There were several corruption allegations against Nitin Patel for his earlier term as Urban Development minister. Nitin Patel enjoys huge budgeted cream portfolios of Roads and Buildings, Health and Narmada. He was wishing to have two more cream portfolios Revenue and Urban Development.

DeshGujarat