Gujarat election 2017 key candidates: Nitinbhai Patel

Nitinbhai Patel is a BJP candidate from the Mahesana constituency

Nitinbhai Patel is the deputy chief minister of Gujarat and cabinet minister for Health, Medical Education, Family Welfare, Road and Building, Capital Project. He was sworn in as the second-in-command of Rupani after the latter took oath as chief minister. He was elected as MLA from Mahesana district in 2012.
 
It is interesting to note that in 2012 Nitinbhai competed against 31 candidates from Mahesana. This time he is facing 33 candidates out of which 25 are independent.
 
During the election campaign he accused the leader of PAAS, Hardik Patel, sowing seeds of division within the Patidar community and that his quota promise to the community was a hogwash. He said Hardik has spread casteism in the society and he has damaged the prestige of a community and has no right to invoke Sardar Patel and Bhagat Singh.

 
Though he is a high-ranking official in the Gujarat Cabinet with quite a few portfolios, he is not a member of Rashritya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS). His total assets amount to a little over Rs 8 crore and he has no criminal case against him.