Are Vijay Rupani and CR Patil still at loggerheads in Gujarat BJP?

Ahmedabad, Aug 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani's another trustworthy aide has lost his job in the party. Party sources told IANS that it is a clear indication that state BJP chief C.R. Patil and Rupani have not yet resolved their differences.

Patil has appointed Suresh Godhani and Nituben Bambhaniya as Surendranagar district in-charges. In other words Patil has relieved Nitin Bhardwaj from his responsibility of Surendranagar. In the party Bhardwaj is considered the right hand man of Vijay Rupani.

Bhardwaj told the local media, "I am a party worker and will continue to work for the party, in future whenever the party gives me any work, I will carry it out with commitment and determination."

When IANS contacted Surendranagar BJP District Committee President Jagdish Makwana for his comments on dropping Bhardwaj, he said, "I have no idea about any such development."

In the BJP and especially in Saurashtra, Nitin Bhardwaj is considered a lieutenant of Vijay Rupani. Within the party, Rupani's opponents once used to say that Bhardwaj was acting like a super CM during Rupani's tenure as chief minister. Officers in Rajkot had to report to Bhardwaj with official files.

Earlier, another Rupani lieutenant Dhansukh Bhanderi was asked to resign as the chairman of the Gujarat Municipal Finance Board.

Party sources said since the appointment of C R Patil as the state unit chief, Rupani and Patil have not been getting along. There are major differences between the two, which was affecting the party's performance in the state. In 2021, the party's national leadership decided to seek the resignations of the Rupani cabinet and form a fresh cabinet under Bhupendra Patel's leadership.

Since then Rupani and his group have been constantly sidelined by the BJP's state leaders. Though Rupani is a member of the parliamentary board and executive committee, he has little say in party affairs, said sources.

Source: IANS