NAVI MUMBAI, May 16 -- The Bharatiya Janata Party's appointment of Dr Rajesh Patil, a party loyalist, as its Navi Mumbai chief on Tuesday, ignoring minister Ganesh Naik's supporters, appears to be a clear message to him that he will not have a freehand in running its affairs in his stronghold, where civic elections will soon be held. The appointment of a close associate of Naik's arch rival and MLA Manda Mhatre, at a time when his son and former city president Sandeep remains expelled from the party, is being seen as the BJP maintaining the balance of power in a region where Naik earlier called the shots. Although the BJP made him a minister after the Mahayuti alliance retained power in last year's assembly polls, reportedly to counter the clout of deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde in the Thane district, Naik continues to be denied the power he wielded when he was with the NCP....