Career
Later members owing allegiance to Jana Sangh"s Hindutva ideology broke away from Janata Party in 1980 to form Bharatiya Janata Party. Patwa was first elected to Lok Sabha via bye-poll in Chhindwara in 1997. He lost from Chhindwara in 1998 General Election.
In 1999, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Hoshangabad constituency, and was minister in Vajpayee Government from 1999 to 2001.
As a legislator, he was known as strict disciplinarian. He was associated with Indore Rajya Praja Mandal since 1941, R.S.S. since 1942 and R.S.S. Vistarak, 1947-1951.
He was imprisoned for seven months for participating in R.S.S. movement in 1948 and was an active worker of Jana Sangh since 1951, Chairman of District Cooperative Bank, Director, State Cooperative Bank and State Cooperative Marketing Sangh and Treasurer, Jana Sangh from 1967-1974. He was Detained under M.I.S.A. during Emergency from June 1975 to January 1977.
He was awarded the "Vidhan Gaurav" in the All India Conference of Presiding Officers, 1989.
Patwa has held a variety of official posts:
1957-1967, 1977-1997 and 1998 - Member, Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly (three terms)
1957-1967 - Chief Whip, Opposition Party, Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly
1975 - General Secretary, Jana Sangh, Madhya Pradesh
1977 - Member, Working Committee, Janata Party
January 1980 - February 1980, March 1990 - December 1992 - Chief Minister, Madhya Pradesh (twice)
1980-1985 - Leader of Opposition, Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly. Chairman, Public Accounts Committee, Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly
1986 - President, Bharatiya Janata Party, Madhya Pradesh.
Member, General Purposes Committee, Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly
1997 - Elected to 11th Lok Sabha*
1999 - Re-elected to 13th Lok Sabha (2nd term)
13 October
1999 – 30 September 2000 - Union Cabinet Minister, Rural Development
30 September 2000-2007 November 2000 - Union Cabinet Minister, Chemicals and Fertilizers
7 November
2000 – 1 September 2001 - Union Cabinet Minister, Mines.