Incidentally, Harshad Patel, who was selected for IAS through regular recruitment, was Mahendra Patel’s predecessor as the Kutch collector.
Mahendra Patel, who was nominated to the IAS by the state government, served as the District Collector of Kutch between 2014 and 2016.
However, after his retirement, Patel joined the BJP and was made vice-president of the party’s Gujarat state unit in 2021.
As Kutch was preparing for the landfall of Cyclone Biparjoy, Patel joined Health Minister Rushikesh Patel, Minister of State for Praful Pansheriya, and IAS officer Harshad Patel, who is the secretary in charge of Kutch district, in monitoring the situation from a control room in Kutch.
Incidentally, Harshad Patel, who was selected for IAS through regular recruitment, was Mahendra Patel’s predecessor as the Kutch collector.