The political journey of Amit Shah continues to shape the trajectory of the BJP and exert a profound influence on the course of Indian politics. His role as a strategic architect, coalition builder, and transformative leader remains an enduring aspect of contemporary politics
- The challenge for Shah in J&K is to create a political climate which could ensure the conduct of free and fair elections
- Known as an astute strategist whose non-political interests range from playing chess and watching cricket to reading books and listening to old film songs
TEAMING up with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah forms the dynamic duo that steers the BJP ship. Despite not holding the national president post for three years, Shah’s strategic prowess shines through in every big win the BJP scores.
FOUNDATION OF BOND
Narendra Modi and Amit Shah first met in 1984 when Modi was a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) pracharak and Shah a member of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of RSS. The two appear to have bonded well as Shah was appreciative of Modi’s view of the political-social world and Modi saw in Shah a youth leader who was in sync with the ideology of the Sangh and had clarity of thought on issues of importance. Later both of them got into the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).Their association gained momentum in Gujarat, where both leaders played pivotal roles in scripting the BJP’s ascendancy to power in 1995. As Modi assumed the role of Chief Minister, he entrusted Shah with significant portfolios, effectively making him his de facto Number 2.
ARCHITECT OF BJP’S RISE
The 58-year-old dynamic leader deftly blended the party’s core theme of nationalism with a focus on development. When Modi became the Prime Minister in 2014, he got Shah elevated to the post of National President of BJP. For the next five years, Shah worked on strengthening the party’s organisational structure and ramping up the party in the states.
Amit Shah is often hailed as the BJP’s most successful president for crafting its way to power state after state. Under his leadership, the BJP rapidly ascended to become the “largest party in the world,” it claimed to have registered 18 crore members. Presently, the saffron party stands as the preeminent political organisation, nearly doubling the size of China’s Chinese Communist Party, the world’s second-largest political party. Shah is also known to always match his limitless political ambition with thorough spadework and then take charge on the ground to put it to work. He has always believed that as long as the party is performing well in the polls, the allies will keep coming.
TRANSFORMATIVE GUIDANCE
Amit Shah stepped into the role of the Home Minister after BJP’s return to power in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, when it won 303 seats on its own, improving upon its tally of 282 in 2014 by 21 seats. He has been a member of all eight Cabinet Committees, the final decision-making body on matters related to employment, economy, parliamentary affairs, politics, investment, security, appointment and accommodation.
As the Home Minister, he has been involved in various policy initiatives and reforms, such as the abrogation of Article 370, the enactment of the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens, the creation of the Chief of Defence Staff and the Department of Military Affairs, the crackdown on terrorism and naxalism, the modernization of the police and paramilitary forces, and the promotion of the cooperative federalism and national integration.
WHAT NEXT
The direct rule of the Centre over J&K has led to a significant drop in incidents of violence. The peaceful environment has encouraged tourism in the region. The challenge for Shah in the state now is to create a political climate which could ensure the conduct of free and fair elections. Another area of concern in the field of internal security remains Left Wing Extremism (LWE) which is popularly referred to as Naxal violence.
OFF BEAT
Raised in a family dedicated to philanthropy, Amit Shah became a ‘Tarun Syawamsevak’ within the RSS while pursuing a degree in biochemistry, he assumed the role of Secretary in the RSS student wing ABVP.
Known as an astute strategist whose non-political interests range from playing chess and watching cricket to reading books and listening to old film songs.
Amit Shah is hailed as the BJP’s most successful president for crafting its way to power state after state. Under his leadership, the BJP rapidly ascended to become the ‘largest party in the world,’ it claimed to have registered 18 crore members