Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Ahmedabad, October 22 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah celebrated Gujarati New Year and his 62nd birthday in his hometown Ahmedabad. A festive and friendly gathering was held at his residence, which was attended by senior political leaders, party members and well-wishers.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghvi, BJP state president Jagdish Vishwakarma, Assembly Speaker Shankar Chaudhary and several ministers, MLAs and councilors were among those who personally congratulated the Home Minister.
Shah extended New Year greetings to the visitors and supporters who met him throughout the morning. Party workers gathered in large numbers outside his residence to extend their good wishes. The Home Minister is expected to attend several programs in the city on Wednesday and may also meet newly appointed Gujarat Cabinet ministers.
Meanwhile, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel visited the Cabinet residence complex in Gandhinagar to wish Gujarati New Year to his ministers and staff, as festive celebrations continue across the state.
Born in Mumbai in 1964 and brought up in Ahmedabad, Amit Anilchandra Shah’s association with public life began through the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). After graduating in biochemistry, Shah joined the BJP in the 1980s, around the same time Narendra Modi was rising in the party. The two formed a political partnership that would shape the political story of Gujarat and later India.
Shah’s sharp organizational mind came to prominence during the 1990s and 2000s, when he played a key role in strengthening the BJP’s grassroots network. As Home Minister and later Law and Urban Development Minister in the Gujarat government, he was known for his efficiency, data-driven approach and ability to connect with the party cadre.
He played a key role in the creation of the “Gujarat Model” – a blend of administrative control, focus on law-and-order and booth-level political management that gave the BJP lasting gains in the state.
By the mid-2000s, Shah had become Narendra Modi’s most trusted strategist. His booth management model, careful voter segmentation and micro-management of campaigns helped the BJP achieve landslide victories in consecutive state elections. Even political rivals acknowledged his accuracy and discipline.
After 2014, when Narendra Modi moved to Delhi as Prime Minister, Shah moved into national politics, becoming BJP President and later Home Minister of India. But his political heart, as many in Gujarat say, “still beats in Ahmedabad.”
–IANS
janvi/uk