The Gujarat Petroleum Minister is related to Mukesh Ambani

The Gujarat Petroleum Minister is related to Mukesh Ambani

AHMEDABAD, APRIL 1:

The Election Commission of India is awaiting a reply from the Gujarat Minister for Petroleum and Energy, Saurabh Patel, on whether he is related to the Ambani family.

This comes on the back of Patel’s complaint against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejrival, who alleged that Patel’s connection with the Ambani family got him the petroleum portfolio in the Narendra Modi Government.

Patel’s complaint seems to have backfired and put him in a tight spot. The Election Commission has raised two basic queries based on the complaint, and forwarded the same to the State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to get it answered from him.

“The EC has asked about the portfolios that Patel holds as a Cabinet Minister and whether he is related to the Ambani family,” Aswini Kumar, Special Chief Electoral Officer, Gujarat, told Business Line.

“We sent the query two to three days back (to Patel), but so far have not received any reply,” added Kumar.

On his four-day visit to Gujarat in the first week of March, Kejriwal had raised several issues and alleged that the Ambanis have made their family member a Minister in the Modi Cabinet. A miffed Patel had raised the matter with the EC and filed a complaint against Kejriwal citing violation of code of conduct; he stated that petroleum affairs being a Central subject, the allegations were baseless.

Patel is married to the daughter of Ramnikbhai Ambani, elder brother of Dhirubhai Ambani.

Portfolios

As a Cabinet rank Minister, Patel holds the Energy and Petrochemicals; Mines and Minerals; Cottage Industries; Salt Industries; Printing, Stationary; Planning; Tourism; Civil Aviation; Labour and Employment portfolios.

(This article was published on April 1, 2014)