FILE:

, right, and Nitin Patel offer sweets to each other after their name were declared for the post of chief minister and deputy chief minister of Gujarat after a meeting in Gandhinagar, Dec. 22, 2017. AP Photo

Content courtesy: iamgujarat.com

Hardik invited Gujarat Dy CM to join him

AHMEDABAD: Amid political drama in Gujarat which has begun right after the new government took the charge, Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) convenor Hardik Patel has invited deputy chief minister Nitin Patel to join him.Hardik Patel has said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is not giving respect to "his veteran leader and everyone should stand with him".This comes after the Gujarat deputy chief minister, having been stripped of three key portfolios - finance, urban development and petroleum, did not assume office in the Sachivalaya in Gandhinagar on Friday even as many ministers took charge."Nitin Patel can join us if the BJP is not giving him respect. He has worked hard for the party," Hardik told mediapersons on Saturday morning at Botad where the PAAS is holding Chintan Shibir to analyse the assembly poll results.He added, "if he is ready to quit the BJP and if he is saying that 10 MLAs are ready to quit BJP with him, then we are ready to support him. I will talk to the Congress to welcome him and to give him a proper post."Meanwhile, state Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki has said the "Congress is watching the situation. After Anandiben Patel, now it's Nitin Patel on BJP leadership target." In Gujarat's interest, we may form the government if we get the support of few BJP MLAs and Nitinbhai Patel, Solanki added.