Gandhinagar Sep 13 (IANS): A teary eyed Nitin Patel, the deputy chief minister of Gujarat, who missed the bus yet again, on Monday said the BJP had done a lot for him and that he was not upset by the new selection for the post of the chief minister. But the visuals told an entirely different story.

Just ahead of the swearing-in ceremony on Monday, the newly selected Gujarat CM, Bhupendra Patel called on Nitin Patel at his residence. Nitin Patel said, "I congratulated Bhupendra Patel, who is an old family friend. He has also asked for my guidance whenever needed. We will be happy to see him take oath as the CM."

Nitin Patel, the first of the frontrunners for the chief minister's post, was quite taken aback at the time of announcement of Bhupendra Patel for the new CM of Gujarat, which could be seen not only on Monday but was also visible on Sunday at the party headquarters, Kamalam.

After Monday's meeting at his residence, Nitin said, "I'm not upset. Whether I get a position in the party or not, I will continue serving in the party. I have been working in the BJP since I was 18 and shall continue working."

The newly selected leader Bhupendra Patel on Monday also paid a visit to Vijay Rupani at his residence.

The Ghatlodia constituency legislator Bhupendra Patel will take oath as Gujarat's seventeenth CM in a ceremony held at Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat at Raj Bhavan after 2 p.m. in the afternoon.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new CM, along with a host of other political leaders.