Amit Shah, the man who defied all odds and prevailed

Today is the 55^th birthday of Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah who is at a very crucial point in his life and career. The BJP president has been instrumental in making the tides turn in favor of the BJP in many elections held across the country. The importance of his role in the convincing wins of BJP in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra cannot be ignored. To add to it, he has also played a pivotal role in expanding the influence of BJP in the north-eastern states and has managed to bring states like Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh convincingly in the fold of BJP. Amit Shah deserves all the praise for tying a bond between the north-eastern states and mainland India, his political acumen has ensured a deeper connect of the people with the BJP. The BJP president now has his eyes all set on expanding the influence of BJP in the southern states as Amit Shah would definitely like to ensure a repeat of the party’s performance of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in 2019. The upcoming assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Mizoram and Telangana will be like a series of tests prior to the all important 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The results of the past elections though show that Amit Shah has always been one step ahead in planning and executing strategies for the elections. The reinforcement of block and state level cadres of the BJP across India was done at the behest of Amit Shah, he also felt the need for modernizing the party, hence the digitization of BJP offices across the country. Amit Shah’s first major assignment was securing the win of the party in Uttar Pradesh in 2014, he took on the responsibility of the party president for the state with enthusiasm and took on SP, BSP and Congress. BJP along with its ally Apna Dal secured a landslide victory in the state elections in UP, securing 73 out of the total 80. Amit Shah led BJP had managed to demolish the ruling SP, and Congress, BSP in one single election. A jolt which shook SP and BSP down to its core, a shock from which it could not recover from even in the 2017 assembly elections in the state leading to BJP’s enormous victory.

These small measures further played a big role in ensuring the win of BJP in Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh. Tripura which had been under communist rule for the longest possible time was snatched from the clutches of the left through the hard work of the state cadres of the party. BJP had suffered a humiliating defeat in the 2013 assembly elections in Tripura with 49 of its 50 candidates losing their deposits and BJP just managing to get 1.5% vote share. Amit Shah had the mammoth task of changing the fortunes of the party in the state in 2018, and he aced the task with his skills. His frequent talks with the state cadres and his stress on booth management made BJP win 36 seats in Tripura with 43% vote share alone. It easily managed to form the government with its pre-poll ally, Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) which managed to win 8 seats.

Amit Shah also efficiently managed the daunting task of bringing back Nitish Kumar and JDU to the fold of NDA after a brief separation. Bihar is a state where regional parties have always held sway, be it Lalu Yadav’s RJD or Nitish Kumar’s JDU. Bringing back Nitish Kumar was therefore very important for the BJP and NDA as it would ensure the hold of the party in the state. Amit Shah has also managed to increase the influence of the party in Maharashtra and as a result the party has today gone beyond the powerful Shiv Sena in the state. BJP today is the bigger ally in the coalition government in Maharashtra. It is a remarkable feat considering Shiv Sena has been a force to reckon with in the state thanks to leaders such as the late Balasaheb Thackeray.

Probably the biggest feat of Amit Shah was managing to form government in Manipur and Goa, even after the party did not emerge as the single largest party in these two states. In Manipur, BJP had managed to win 21 seats in 2017 after losing all seats in the previously held 2012 assembly elections. Amit Shah managed to form a coalition with parties such as the National People’s Party, Naga People’s Front and the Lok Janshakti Party to form a BJP government in the state for the first time in the history of the state. In Goa too, a similar feat was achieved when the party president managed to confirm the support of parties such as Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, Goa Forward Party and three independent MLAs to form government for the second consecutive term in the state.

If not for Amit Shah and his hard work, the BJP victory could not have been as convincing as it has been in the recent years. The master strategist looks all set to conquer territories which the BJP has not yet been able to have a strong presence in. West Bengal in particular seems to be ready for BJP’s foray into the state politics, and Amit Shah appears to be unrelenting in his approach to win over Telangana and other southern states too in the Lok Sabha elections 2019. The frequent statements of Amit Shah, which reflect his tough stance on issues such as the NRC draft and deportation of Rohingya and illegal immigrants, have further cemented the growth of BJP in the country. His political acumen is second to none, a fact which is duly recognized and appreciated by PM Narendra Modi. This statement was also reflected in the tweet which PM Modi sent out on the occasion of the party president’s birthday. Whenever a book tracking BJP’s success in India post 2014 will be written, Amit Shah will be an indispensible part of the main plot. 

A general, who leads from the front and one who holds the key for BJP’s success in the past and many more which are to come in the future. The selfless strategist who does not take no for an answer and every defeat further solidifies his intention to make BJP the biggest and the strongest party in the country. A great player of the game indeed, wishing him all the luck on this auspicious day and the best of luck for his dream of making BJP the dominant force in the country.