Gujarat's Chandrakant Raghunath Paatil has been given the charge of the Ministry of Jal Shakti. Yesterday he was sworn in as a cabinet minister in the third term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Paatil, who is the Gujarat BJP president, is a member of Parliament from the constituency of Navsari.
Hailing from a humble background, he began his educational journey in Maharashtra, later relocating to South Gujarat for advanced studies. He pursued his technical education at ITI in Surat, where his early experiences laid the groundwork for his future political endeavors. Paatil is widely recognized for his instrumental role in "Operation Lotus," a strategic initiative aimed at transitioning Congress members into the BJP fold.
Paatil's political career took off in 1989 when he teamed up with Kashiram Rana in Surat, playing a significant role in strengthening the BJP's presence in the region. His leadership skills were soon acknowledged as he took on prominent roles, including Chairman of the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) from 1995 to 1997 and Chairman of Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) from 1998 to 2000.
Paatil is known for his exceptional fund management abilities, and having cultivated strong relationships with industrialists in Surat and across Gujarat, it has significantly bolstered his political journey. His financial acumen led him to a five-year tenure as the BJP Treasurer, where he adeptly managed the party’s finances, contributing to its robust organizational structure and electoral successes.
Paatil has been the representative of the Navsari Lok Sabha seat since its creation in 2009, securing four consecutive terms with impressive victory margins. His electoral achievements are particularly remarkable for their substantial leads. In the 2019 election, Paatil triumphed by an astounding margin of 689,668 votes, the second-largest in India's electoral history, surpassing his own 2014 victory margin of 558,116 votes, which ranked as the third-highest in the country. In his most recent term, Paatil garnered over 770,000 votes, further solidifying his formidable influence within the BJP.