Amit Shah’s return a morale booster for BJP

Amit Shah’s return to Gujarat may trigger big changes in the current politics of the state as besides being a close aide of chief minister Narendra Modi, he is also considered a competent troubleshooter.

Two years back, the Supreme Court had forbidden Shah from entering Gujarat after the Gujarat high court granted him bail in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case. Shah was minister of state for home when he was arrested by the CBI in the fake encounter case.

According to sources in the BJP, Amit Shah is a powerful and senior cadre of the BJP. He was instrumental in wresting the state’s dairy sector, the co-operative banks and the state’s cricket bodies from the Congress and handing them over to the BJP. He is also considered an effective troubleshooter of the party.

There is speculation that Shah will be fielded in the upcoming assembly elections and may be given ticket from the newly-created Ghatlodia constituency which is considered his bastion. However, if Shah is arrested in the Tulsi Prajapati case, his wife or son would be strong claimants for the assembly ticket from the BJP.

Meanwhile, the BJP has welcomed the Supreme Court’s order rejecting the CBI’s plea to cancel the bail granted to Shah in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case.
“We welcome SC’s order. We firmly believe that Amit Shah is innocent,” BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar told reporters on the sidelines of the BJP National Executive meeting in Surajkund. He said the BJP was glad that Shah could now visit Gujarat and campaign in the upcoming polls.