Setting aside speculations around his appointment as representative of Betul parliamentarian and Union Minister Durga Das Uikey, former minister in the state cabinet Kamal Patel on Monday said this is just a means to serve the people of the area.

Patel's decision to accept the responsibility stirred controversy in the state capital, with the Congress party criticizing the appointment as unbefitting for someone of his stature as a former minister in the Madhya Pradesh cabinet.

While Patel has maintained that he took up the appointment as it presents him with an opportunity to serve the people of the constituency, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said that the out-of-the-box move may well turn Patel into a trendsetter.

An old-timer in the ruling party said, "Those who shun the trappings of power are often spotted and appreciated in the Narendra Modi-led BJP." Responding to the Congress's aspersions, Patel, told The Pioneer, "I am a disciplined party worker of the BJP, and I am happy to accept the position." He reiterated that it was only the Congress party that was criticizing his decision.

Patel modestly maintains that no post is big or small for him and lists service to the people of Harda as his primary reason for accepting the position.

Patel, a five-term BJP legislator, served Madhya Pradesh as a cabinet minister on two occasions and as a Minister of State for one term. He was the Agriculture Minister in the last government.

As representative of Uikey, Patel will focus on resurrecting the BJP in the Harda district, where the BJP doesn't have a legislator at the moment. Uikey, apart from being the Member of Parliament from Betul, serves in the Narendra Modi government as a Minister of State for Tribal Affairs.

Patel will attend government meetings on behalf of Uikey in his absence, interact with party workers, resolve their grievances, and ensure that the development of the district continues in accordance with strict schedules.

Notably, Patel has served as an MP representative between 2014 and 2018 as well. Patel's humility aside, many say that his decision constitutes a demotion, as he used to be one of the more powerful ministers in the last government led by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Reacting to Patel's decision, political observers said that there is no demotion in politics. They cite the example of key Union Ministers being fielded from the state in the 2023 elections for the Madhya Pradesh assembly.

They noted that Prahlad Patel is serving as a Minister in the State while Narendra Singh Tomar is the incumbent speaker in the Madhya Pradesh assembly. Adding weight to their argument, they say that former state BJP unit chief Rakesh Singh, who was the then party whip in the Lok Sabha, now serves as a minister in the state cabinet.

Explaining the working of an MP representative, they say that it is only an arrangement and not an official position, before adding that the weight this position carries depends largely on the individual's personality.

While unofficially the Congress sought to draw a wedge in the BJP by feigning concern for Patel, party State meda in-charge Mukesh Nayak said that the matter was internal to the BJP and added that it was certainly unusual."It's like a postgraduate going back to take high school examinations," he said.

Even if the appointment has presented Patel's detractors with a momentary victory, the BJP leader's chemistry with voters in the Harda district is sure to serve as a headache for the Congress in the months to come.