Amit Shah dons BJP Chief's Tiara embedded with Jewels,Thorns;braces for polls marathon

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As the Prime Minister Narendra Modi marches ahead pushing Indian   government's flag ship programmes,grabbling plethora of challenges from opponents outside and within the organisation,Role of newly anointed full term President of the Ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Amit Shah has become more crucial to increase party’s hold in states.He has to bridle fringe elements, having propensity of destroying all good-will with strokes  of intolerance.

 As a President Shah hands are full with state assemblies polls in ten states & UT in next two years, and party’s performance in the poll bound swathes will empower  the central government at least in public

perceptions and investors’ confidence in the Modi’s Rule.

In a way ,success of flagship programmes is also linked with BJP’s performance at the hustings as nothing can be pursued in isolation in a federal state. Cooperative federalism is the essence of the success. Till next elections for Parliament ,Assembly polls are to be held every year with only a handful to go with general elections in 2019.

Opposition parties are leaving no chance to grab political space in states and finally in 2019,the center may witness a different political spectrum in most parts of the  country.

The 51 year old Shah has no option but to leave “ Amit Chaap”(an indelible mark)in political arena within in a three years stipulated period. His three years term is virtual a marathon run to the final goal post-2019.Now,his steel nerves are under test.

The Polls are due in states:Assam, Kerala, West Bengal, Tamil Nadiu & Puducherry with  in  next three -four months while Uttar Pradesh,Punjab,Goa, Uttrakhand and Manipur go to polls next year( 2017).He had taken reins from Rajnath Singh in July 2014 when he had moved to the North Block as Home Minister.

Shah,knowing his brief and political compulsions ,has started with the word “Go”and started extensive touring of  states due for the polls.He had made a humble beginning in political career 32 years ago in 1983, as a Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarathi Parishad(ABVP) cadre and gradually rose higher in hierarchy in the organization and the Gujarat Government ,but  his frequent brush  with hard times even in Jail, are not a secret.

 He was elected to the state Assembly Five times and remained a close confidant of Modi. Shah made deep inroads in the party’s Youth wing,BYJM in 1986 and never looked back. Having served as ward secretary, taluka secretary, state secretary, state vice-president and general secretary of BJYM, he gathered experience on the ground. 

His first meeting with Modi when he was Nanapura MLA happened by a  chance in a function of the RSS in Ahmedabad.he was Sangh Pracharak.  The Chemistry between the two instantly clicked.  Within short time ,he was  being noticed .In 1991,Shah  worked in poll campaign for former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani in Ahmadabad.

After formation of the first BJP Government in Gujarat under leadership of Keso Bhai Patel, Mr Shah got chances.He,with Modi ,successfully cultivated local leadership in about 10,000  villages, then the duo  focused on contesting against the Congress influence in cooperative sector and sports bodies including, cash rich Gujarat Cricket Association where they annexed slots of President and Vice President in 2009.

 

 Soon after Modi became Prime Minister in 2014,Shah took over as president in the GCA.

It was in 1997, Mr Modi managed party ticket for Shah for contesting assembly bye-poll on Sarkhej seat which he won and thereafter he did not look back.he won four successive elections on the seat in1998, 2002, 2007 and 2012(Naranpura as Sarkhej seat ceased to exist in new delimitation). He had held Ministerial posts with key portfolios in Modi cabinet between 2002 and 2010 the home state.

On national scenario, Shah emerged as a ace planner in the present team of Modi and his most remarkable achievement is the party's poll management in Uttar Pradesh in his capacity as the BJP General Secretary and state incharge in 2014.

His management worked as the BJP also with its allies, swept the poll winning 73 of the total 80 Lok Sabha seats from the state.he was elevated to the post of party president on July 9, 2014.

After Drubbing in Delhi and Bihar, Many raised eyebrows and his leadership was under question but he ,without losing target, kept his pace of batting and finally became  full term President in Jan 2016.   

  

He has an expertise to court controversies and emerge from those  unscathed .He faced allegations and court cases, political rows etc in his fast paced career.

In the infamous Sohrabuddin fake encounter case he was arrested and  sent behind the bar for some months in 2010, he was also subjected to forced exile from the state by order of the court between 2010 and 2012. After Supreme Court's order he was allowed to return Gujarat in 2012 subsequently the contested assembly polls and won. In a major relief, the Special CBI court last month discharged him in 2005 Soharabuddin fake  encounter case .