Nitin Patel: A tall Kadva Patidar leader who rose through the ranks

Nitin Patel also headed a high level committee of ministers appointed by Anandiben Patel when the Patidar quota agitation was at its peak to negotiate various issues of the protesting Patidars.

(Source: Express photo by Bhupendra Rana/ File)

Nitin Patel started his political career as member of Kadi Municipality and later went on to become president of the municipality. (Source: Express photo by Bhupendra Rana/ File)

Considered only second to Anandiben Patel in the Gujarat cabinet, Nitin Patel (60) is a Kadva Patidar leader from Mehsana district who has risen from the ranks. He is a native of Manipur village of Kadi taluka in Mehsana district; he was first elected as MLA in 1990 to the eighth legislative assembly and has been a cabinet minister since the first BJP government in 1995.

A businessman who owns the Nitin Oil and Shivani Cotton Ginning and Pressing industries in Kadi taluka, Patel comes with wide ranging experience having headed ministries of health, agriculture, irrigation, roads and building, urban development, revenue and finance.

His appointment is seen as giving due representation to the Patidars, now angry with the BJP, and to north Gujarat — both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the outgoing chief minister Anandiben Patel belong to the region. North Gujarat is also where the Patidar quota stir was born and which subsequently shook the BJP to the core. Thus far, the community has been the powerhouse behind the BJP’s success.

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An old SSC pass out from Sarva Vidyalaya of Kadi in Mehsana district, Nitin Patel completed his second year of B.Com from C N Arts & B D Commerce College of Gujarat University.

He is an MLA from Mehsana constituency, a BJP bastion. He started his political career as member of Kadi Municipality and went on to become president of the municipality.

Nitin Patel also headed a high level committee of ministers appointed by Anandiben Patel when the Patidar quota agitation was at its peak to negotiate various issues of the protesting Patidars.

As per his affidavit filed before the Election Commission in the run up to the 2012 assembly elections, Patel had five criminal cases pending against him. He also has total movable and immovable assets worth more than Rs 9 crore.

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