He declared, “I do not keep weak, wrong, or socially disreputable people around me. We left; you expelled me from North Gujarat.” His words cut deep, suggesting that political isolation, not public rejection, was behind his exclusion.

Recalling his austere public service, Patel said, “I used to ride a scooter at night to ensure no octroi theft in Kadi. If anyone has seen me standing at a pan shop, I’ll give ₹50,000.” Reiterating his clean image, he thundered, “I neither eat nor allow anyone to eat, this is Modi Saheb’s slogan, and I live by it.”

Nitin Patel reminded workers that his politics was people-driven, not position-driven. “Nothing happens with the position; it happens with the person. Ability, hard work, reputation, that’s what counts,” he said, warning that wrong company leads to downfall.

He cited examples of ministers dropped from the cabinet, attributing their exclusion to “misdeeds of family or followers.” The message was unmistakable, guilt by association ruins reputations, a lesson he claimed to have avoided by staying disciplined.

Quoting late former Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Patel reminded the crowd, “A worker never becomes old. An MLA, minister, or president may, but not a worker.” His tone oscillated between nostalgia and rebellion, making it clear he still identifies as a loyal but overlooked soldier of the party.

In a parting statement laced with pride and humility, Patel told the crowd, “We are not big; you are big, you made us big. I neither take anything nor give anything. But I will never keep black sheep around me.”

The speech, a mix of defiance, integrity and emotional hurt — is now being dissected across Gujarat’s political corridors. Many see it as Patel’s indirect protest against the BJP’s new power structure, which allegedly seems to have left little space for its old guard.