Jagan meets Shah, raises special status for Andhra
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and raised the issue of special category status for his state as well as an amicable settlement of all contentious issues with neighbouring Telangana.
In his over 15-minute meeting, Reddy also informed the Home Minister about the issues of sharing of river waters and division of assets and liabilities among others between the two Telugu-speaking states.
“I took an appointment with Home Minister today (Friday) evening to try and prevail on him, to also soften PM’s heart on special category status… what we will definitely be asking for in tomorrow’s (Saturday’s) NITI Aayog meeting,” Jagan, as the leader is popularly known, told media after the meeting.
“The agenda of my visit was tomorrow’s NITI Aayog meeting. Tomorrow we will be presenting our case to the NITI Aayog, which is chaired by the Prime Minister.”
Reacting to reports that Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker’s post will be offered to his YSR Congress Party, Reddy said: “First of all there is nothing offered. We haven’t asked, neither any proposal of that sort have come from any quarter. So please don’t speculate these kinds of things.”
In the last five years, there was more hostility than cordiality between the TRS government in Telangana, carved out of Andhra Pradesh, and the Telugu Desam Party dispensation in Andhra Pradesh, due to political reasons.
Last year, the TDP had even gone on a collision course with the Central government.
The Governor, common to both the states, arranged a couple of meetings with the Chief Ministers and subsequently, a three-member ministers group was formed on each side to resolve the issues but no headway was made.
In the four years that it remained part of the NDA government at the Centre, the TDP failed to achieve much it was due to get, according to the provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.
But now, the YSR Congress government headed by Reddy has begun with an advantage of having a non-confrontationist, if not friendly, relationship with both the TRS government and the Centre, springing hope of ending the impasse.
New MoS Home stirs row, Shah pulls him up
New Minister of State for Home Affairs G. Kishan Reddy courted controversy on the first day in office as he called Hyderabad a “safe terror zone” inviting strong objection from Hyderabad MP All India Majlis-e Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi.
Reddy, who was elected from Secunderabad, one of the Lok Sabha constituencies in the Hyderabad city, had said on Friday that any terror incident in the country would have a link to Hyderabad. Following the controversy, Reddy clarified that he did not say anything wrong.
“There are places in a country where terror activities are on the rise. If an incident takes place in Bengaluru or Bhopal, its roots are traced to Hyderabad. State police, NIA have arrested terrorists in Hyderabad every 2-3 months,” Reddy spoke to media after assuming charge.
Soon after his statement went viral, sources said, Union Home Home Minister Amit Shah Shah pulled up Reddy for the remark.
However, it could not be confirmed what exactly Shah told Reddy.
“I would like to ask him (Reddy) that in the last five years, how many times did NIA, IB and RAW gave in writing that Hyderabad is a safe zone for terror? It is unfortunate that he is saying such things,” Owaisi said, terming the minister’s statement “irresponsible”.
The AIMIM chief also said for the last five years, there was complete peace in Hyderabad as no communal took place in the city and all religious festivals passed off peacefully.
He also accused the BJP of having “hatred” for Muslims and targeting them. “An MoS speaking like this! This shows their hatred for Telangana, Hyderabad. Such irresponsible statements don’t suit a minister, but we expect this from him. Wherever they see Muslims, they take them for terrorists. We can’t cure them,” Owaisi said.
Shah takes charge as new Home Minister
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah on Saturday took charge as the 30th Union Home Minister at a time when the country is facing terrorism, secessionism and Maoist insurgency challenges.
The 55-year-old BJP leader assumed charge a day after he was assigned the crucial Home portfolio, succeeding Rajnath Singh, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government returned for a second term.
The leadership change in the high-profile ministry is expected to usher in a certain decisiveness and an iron-handed approach to terror, insurgency and secessionism.
However, former Home Minister Rajnath Singh had given a free hand to security forces in Jammu and Kashmir, leading to heavy casualties among terrorists, Shah is expected to be more proactive and lead from the front.
He was welcomed by Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba and IB chief Rajiv Jain soon after he reached his North Block office
Modi grooming Shah for 2024 PM seat?
PM Modi has brought in a new trend in BJP politics. Senior leaders crossing 75 years are being given forcible retirement. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and such leaders have already come into this category. Modi may be applying the same principle to himself. He will be crossing 73 years by 2024 general election. So, Modi is preparing to hand over the leadership to his trusted lieutenant who is Amit Shah.
It’s towards this objective only that Amit Shah is made No. 2 in the present government. He is chosen as Home Minister, the most powerful seat second only to PM. Shah has been working closely with Modi for over 40 years now. He is 10 years younger to Modi. This is why rumours are spreading within the BJP that Amit Shah will be groomed take over the mantle in 2024. The BJP is very confident that its victory is certain in 2024 also going by the division in opposition and emerging political trends in the country.
Amit Shah in new role after being most successful BJP chief
After a most successful stint as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President, Amit Shah, called the “Chanakya” of modern day Indian politics, on Thursday joined the cabinet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Shah is most likely to be given the Finance portfolio, which was earlier with Arun Jaitley, who on Wednesday urged Modi to keep him out ot the ministry on health grounds.
After Modi, Shah was the man who built the party’s campaign systematically around the nationalism plank and the Prime Minister’s popularity.
Shah, who was in election mode since becoming the party President in 2014, has been rewarded by Modi after the BJP registered a spectacular win in the Lok Sabha elections bagging 303 seats on its own.
Though Shah entered national politics in 2013, his organisational training and extensive travel across India helped him learn the finer points of cow belt politics.
In no time in Uttar Pradesh, Shah transformed the profile of the BJP, which for a long time was seen as a party of forward castes in the state.
Both in the 2014 Lok Sabha and 2017 Assembly elections, Shah first stitched together a strong intra-party caste alliance within BJP’s broad political framework in the state.
He also strengthened the so-called rainbow coalition by striking a pre-poll alliance with smaller regional outfits.
As the result, the BJP won 71 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh in 2014 and the party swept a two-third majority in 2017 Assembly polls.
He also led the BJP to victory in Assembly elections in Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and other states.
Formerly an MLA from Naranpura in his home state Gujarat, Shah had been elected four times from Sarkhej.
Shah became a loyalist of Modi as both were associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) since their early age.
During his tenure as Minister in Gujarat, Shah held several portfolios including that of transport, police, housing, border security, civil defense, gram rakshak dal, Home Guards, prison, prohibition, excise, law and justice, parliamentary affairs and the coveted Home Ministry.
A science graduate, he was active in politics since his college days when he was with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad.
Born on October 22, 1964 into a philanthropist family, he joined the RSS as a “Tarun Syawamsevak”.
In 1982, as a student of bio-chemistry, he became the Secretary of RSS student wing ABVP in Ahmedabad. He then became the Secretary of BJP Ahmedabad city unit. There was no looking back since then.
He went on to hold many crucial posts to rise up in the ranks of the BJP in Gujarat. He became the national Treasurer of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha in 1997 and later the Vice President of the Gujarat BJP.
Shah is also credited with turnaround of the co-operative sector in Gujarat. In 2000, when the Ahmedabad District Co-Operative bank was in totters and declared a weak bank due to lack of leadership, Shah was brought in as the Chairman of the Bank.
Only a year after he took over, the Bank cleared its debts and fell in line of other profit-making banks, with declaration of 10 per cent dividend. Today, Ahmedabad District Co-Operative Bank Ltd is a leading bank among the 367 co-operative banks in the country.
Modi, Shah hold marathon meeting ahead of swearing-in
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah held a marathon meeting on Tuesday to discuss crucial aspects of the new government and the likely allocation of ministerial berths.
The meeting comes two days ahead of the swearing-in of the new government.
It was not clear immediately as to what transpired between them, but possibly they discussed the formation of the Council of Ministers.
The meeting, which lasted around five hours, also assumes significance as there is a buzz in the political circles that Shah may join the government.
All eyes are now on the Council of Ministers, with several names doing the rounds.
Sources in the BJP said senior party leaders Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Prakash Javadekar, Suresh Prabhu, Nirmala Sitharaman, Smriti Irani, Maneka Gandhi and J.P. Nadda are likely to retain Cabinet berths.
The JD-U and Shiv Sena are likely to get two ministerial berths in the Modi government, one Cabinet berth and one minister of state (MoS) position.
The JD-U is the third largest party in the National Democratic Alliance, after the BJP and Shiv Sena. The BJP has 303 MPs while Shiv Sena has 18 MPs.
Harsimrat Kaur Badal of Akali Dal and Ram Vilas Paswan of LJP are also likely to be inducted in the Modi Cabinet.
Sources said that around 65 leaders may take the oath of office and secrecy along with Prime Minister Modi.
They said many new and young faces may join the government as junior ministers while some of the former ministers of state can be retained.
Amit Shah plan to win over 3 AP castes?
The TDP has suffered the worst possible defeat. Like never before, the party is facing an identity crisis. The predominant Kamma community is known for its majority support to TDP and to BJP in some pockets. Analysts say that the BJP will try hard to win over a major chunk of Kammas to prepare itself for 2024 AP poll battle.
Very soon, Amit Shah is expected to focus his attention on AP and begin his plans to win over Kammas, Kapus and Kshatriyas. These three communities are vital for the BJP if it wants to make electoral gains in AP in future. Reddys are not their immediate target because of their strong link to YCP which is also enjoying unquestioned loyalty of the SCs, STs and BCs.
Kapus are known for their support to Jana Sena of Pawan Kalyan who has failed to show promise of any future possibilities of coming to power. BJP wants to take this psychological advantage and gain good chunk of major castes.
Amit is ‘Shah’ of Modi’s historic second term win
Prime Minister Narendra Modi might be the man of the moment for winning the historic second term but it is Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah who is being hailed, even by the rivals, as the man behind the moment.
“Time for Congress to get an Amit Shah,” tweeted People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mehbooba Mufti, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and BJP’s friend turned foe.
Omar Abdullah, another former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and a bitter critic of the BJP, congratulated Modi and Shah for putting together a winning alliance and running a “very professional campaign”.
Shah’s election management has become part of India’s political folklore — an image that has been resurrected after the BJP’s loss in three north Indian states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh less than six months ago.
The BJP now has swept the Lok Sabha polls in all these three states staging an emphatic comeback restoring Amit Shah’s winning streak and reconfirming the title of master strategist.
If 2014 mandate for Modi was eye-opening, the verdict in 2019 is jaw dropping.
Amit Shah was more than a backroom strategist in this election as he contested the Lok Sabha seat from Gandhinagar and his public appeal was next only to the Prime Minister.
Speculations are already rife in New Delhi’s political circles that he will play a bigger role in Modi 2.0 instead of only handling the party affairs. If he gets a cabinet berth, it will be one of the four top portfolios of Foreign, Home, Finance and Defence.
With Foreign, Home and Finance being held by BJP’s senior leaders Sushma Swaraj, Rajnath Singh and Arun Jaitley — all three have handled their tasks well — the fourth slot of Defence Ministry, currently held by Nirmala Sitharaman, make Amit Shah a serious contender.
At Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first appearance in a press conference at the end of campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls, Amit Shah took all the questions, a clear indication of command and control set up in the BJP.
Even the Prime Minister chose to let Amit Shah hold the stage in his presence.
The BJP had planned for the 2019 much ahead of its rivals. Shah ordered a scientific evaluation of 120 seats the party had lost in 2014. Special focus was made on seven states (Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Assam, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and West Bengal) where the party was weak along with the Northeastern states.
The results in West Bengal, Odisha and the Northeast show that the BJP’s strategy worked perfectly as the party made impressive gains in these new territories.
Under his leadership, the BJP registered emphatic victories in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand and Tripura. The party also lost in Bihar, Delhi and Punjab apart from Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
A glimpse of Amit Shah’s tenure as the party president is given on his home page where a detailed report card is given about his programmes, plans, travels and strategy signalling the emphasis on details.
The strict dos and don’t for the party functionaries include restrictions on the use of private jets other than election campaigns and stays in expensive five star hotels with the preference for state guest houses only.
KCR’s Federal Front a waste of effort: Amit Shah
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao has embarrassed the Bharatiya Janata Party by opening dialogue with Congress allies like the DMK. BJP National President Amit Shah has made serious comments on KCR’s Federal Front efforts to play a king-maker role at the Centre. Shah described KCR’s Front as a mere waste of time and energy because the BJP is going to retain power at the Centre by successfully crossing 300 MP seats in these elections.
In a sarcastic way, Amit Shah said that like any other political leader, KCR would have every right to float and strengthen his own front. But ultimately, these smaller fronts along with the UPA would only be useful to elect the Opposition leader in the coming Lok Sabha.
Amit Shah sounded confident on winning 23 out of the total 42 MP seats in West Bengal. He said that there was tremendous response to the Modi government’s achievements everywhere. The BJP is certain to emerge victorious with a comfortable majority to form the government again. However, Amit Shah has not targetted YCP leader Jaganmohan Reddy who is an ally of KCR.
Amit Shah road show in AP on Thursday
Hyderabad: BJP president Amit Shah’s road show in Andhra Pradesh has been scheduled on April 4. Amit Shah will participate in the road show on Thursday in Visakhapatnam campaigning for party candidates in Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies. The tour of Shah assumes importance in the wake of several pending issues with the Centre. Moreover, the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) parted ways with the saffron party over non-implementation of Special Category Status (SCS) and other assurances mentioned in the AP Reorganisation Act-2014.
Andhra Pradesh is heading towards Lok Sabha and Assembly elections on April 11. AP chapter of BJP has finalized the road show schedule for the party president Amit Shah, who’ll address in Vizag and other parts neighbouring constituencies. BJP is contesting in Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha and all the Assembly constituencies in it.
Sitting MLA R Vishnukumar Raju is facing tough competition from TDP minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao in the Vizag north constituency. The roadshow will be carried out from Marripalem, Kancharapalem Metta and other importance places in the Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha constituency.
However, TDP and YSRCP are shrugging off any major impact of Amit Shah’s tour on the elections as the Centre failed to implement the assurances mentioned in the AP Reorganisation Act-2014. “BJP doesn’t have any moral right to contest in the elections in the Andhra Pradesh. What promises can BJP make as nothing the NDA government did for the Andhra Pradesh,” said a TDP senior leader.
Narendra Modi, Shah among central ministers to campaign in Telangana
Hyderabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national president Amit Shah along with several union ministers will campaign in Telangna for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections scheduled to be held on April 11, 2019. Without any alliance, BJP is contesting on its own in the country’s youngest state.
Union home minister Rajnath Singh and other central ministers such as Nitin Gadkari, Arun Jaitley, Nirmala Sitharaman, Suresh Prabhu, Sushma Swaraj, etc, will take part in the poll campaign in the state. BJP has submitted the names of ministers, who will campaign in Telangana, to the Election Commission (EC).
BJP is also lining up several other ministers including UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath. Other senior ministers like Uma Bharathi, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Smriti Irani, Hema Malini, Syed Shahnawad Hussaina and party general secretary Ram Madhav will also address at public meetings in Telangana. Leaders from Telangana like Bandaru Dattatreya, the Secunderabad sitting MP and was denied ticket this time, and state BJP president K Laxman will also actively participate in the campaign, said a senior BJP leader.
Ram Madhav has termed Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao as a dictator and criticized his decision to forge alliance with Razakars’ party AIMIM. BJP doesn’t want to use Ram temple issue for the electoral gain, he said. Ram Madhav said that BJP is set to win the Mahbubnagar MP seat after 20 years. DK Aruna’s entry into BJP from Congress will strengthen the saffron party in Mahbubnagar district.
Naidu’s counter to Amit Shah open letter to AP people
AP CM Chandrababu Naidu asserted that the Telugu Desam Party could not remain a silent spectator as the Modi government had caused lot of harm to AP state in the past five years. Naidu issued a strong counter to BJP National President Amit Shah’s open letter to the AP people. Is there any other choice except to launch a nation wide protest against the BJP government at the Centre because of its indifference to AP’s needs? asked CBN.
Recalling the issue of special package, Naidu said he agreed for it in the interests of the state and he demanded legality to this package to ensure justice but Modi was least bothered about this. It is one of the many reasons why the TDP was forced to take a firm stand and break away from the BJP eventually. The AP special status was something which was promised on the floor of the Parliament by the then Prime Minister. Then the present PM Modi should have taken enough steps to convince all and confer the status on AP to fulfill the obligations of bifurcation.
Naidu said that a situation has come now there would be no question of going back on the agitation for special status. AP would get this much-sought-after status only if Modi was prevented from becoming PM again. Naidu said the BJP would face permanent ban in AP if it continued its anti-AP policy.
I took Right Turn: CBN on Shah U-Turn comment
AP CM Chandrababu Naidu strongly hit back at BJP National President Amit Shah for his comments on corruption. Referring to Shah’s charges of U-Turn, Naidu asserted that it was a Right Turn that he took by getting rid of the BJP party in national politics. He accused the BJP leaders of taking a Zig Zag Crooked Turn by forming all kinds of opportunistic and secret alliances with different parties.
The issue was raised during the discussion on the budget in the state assembly. Naidu made a special reference to the charges by Shah about how Lokesh is being promoted to rise to power. Naidu said Shah has no moral right to talk about this since his had amassed over Rs. 16,000 crore and there is no valid explanation how he could earn so much legally.
At one point of time, CBN passed angry remarks pointing towards the BJP MLAs which triggered protest from their party leaders. The absence of the main opposition YCP was strongly felt. The TDP had no option but to target the BJP and Amit Shah in the House. CBN said the Modi government has ignored the AP state requirements totally which is behind the TDP’s changed policy.
G.Ravikiran
BJP’s Shah, Naidu, Jagan put Andhra poll cauldron on high burner
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah’s visit to Andhra Pradesh, the meeting of YSR Congress Party chief Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora on Monday have stepped up poll activity in the state.
Shah was on a visit to north Andhra to interact with BJP leaders in five Lok Sabha constituencies and to sound the poll bugle at public meetings. While BJP chief arrived in the state, Jaganmohan Reddy dashed off to New Delhi to meet the CEC and seek his intervention for free and fair elections.
Simultaneous polls to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly and the Lok Sabha are likely in April-May.
Jagan, as the leader of opposition in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly is popularly known, sought deletion of nearly 60 lakh voters from the voter list, saying they were doubtful voters and were included at the behest of ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
He also alleged the TDP had parked Rs. 4,000-5,000 crore in all 175 Assembly constituencies for distribution among voters. Jagan also claimed Naidu was giving out-of-turn promotion to police officers of his community.
Interestingly, Naidu reportedly conveyed his doubts about the electronic voting machines (EVMs) to the CEC and demanded use of paper ballot in the coming elections.
The TDP chief remains ahead of his political rivals in poll preparations. He is holding tele-conferences with TDP leaders every day under the Mission 2019 to enregise them and also share his thoughts on various issues.
By announcing sops to various sections of people on almost daily basis and by attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ‘betraying’ the state, Naidu is keeping the pressure on his rivals.
The day-long shutdown by a group fighting for the special status to Andhra Pradesh also came handy for the TDP. The ruling party not only extended its support to the shutdown but Naidu and his party legislators also wore black shirts in the Assembly to protest the Centre’s ‘unjust’ attitude towards the state.
Naidu plans to take his ‘Dharma Porata Deeksha’ to New Delhi next week by staging a protest in the national capital. Leaders of the Congress and other non-BJP parties are likely to join the protest.
Political analysts say Naidu is using every opportunity to target the Centre for going back on commitments made at the time of state’s bifurcation and project himself as the champion of state’s rights.
Naidu is also training his guns at the BJP leaders for their frequent visits to the state. “Shah had no time to visit north Andhra when it was hit by the cyclone Titli. Now he is coming to play politics,” he said and asked TDP cadres to protest by wearing black badges.
Naidu is also visiting New Delhi regularly to meet leaders of the Congress and non-BJP parties. Be it the issue of EVMs or the alleged vendetta by the Modi government against its political rivals, he is lending his voice to opposition parties.
His attacks are focused on the BJP and the YSR Congress Party. He has been accusing the YSR Congress of colluding with the BJP and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi(TRS). Jagan’s recent meeting with TRS leaders over proposed Federal Front provided more ammunition to Naidu. He is also looking to encash the proposed visit of Telangana Chief Minister and TRS President K. Chandrashekhar Rao to the state.
What right Amit Shah has to talk about corruption? asks Lokesh
AP Minister Lokesh hit back strongly at BJP National President Amit Shah for his comments against the TDP government. What moral right does Shah have to make allegations of corruption against CM Chandrababu Naidu? asked Lokesh. He questioned the unholy friendship that the BJP is having with Jaganmohan Reddy who is the accused number 1 in many CBI assets cases. As Shah is having friendship with an accused number 1, it is but natural the BJP president is looking at the whole world with suspicions.
Lokesh recalled that the Modi government itself gave country level awards to AP in Ease of Doing Business and rural development sectors but now Shah is saying AP is number one in corruption. Shah has said the TDP has totally ignored the Rayalaseema region. Lokesh countered this remark by saying the Kia Motors is a glowing example of how the TDP government has created wonders in the backward region. It is the Modi government which has let down Seema region by not doing anything for the Kadapa steel plant.
Lokesh also said the BJP totally ignored 9 items out of 14 in bifurcation act while leaving remaining 5 items incomplete and it is unfair for Shah to claim 10 items were resolved.
G.Ravikiran
It’s Modi versus others in 2019 poll, says Amit Shah
The Bharatiya Janata Party is confident over the rivals’ inability to face the 2019 election with a chief minister candidate. On its part, the BJP has PM Modi as its obvious PM candidate. This is what BJP President Amit Shah talks about repeatedly to point out that only the BJP will be able to form a stable government under the leaders of Modi while the rivals have no one single common agenda or leader.
Amit Shah, during a sammelan of party leaders from across the country, once again projected how strong the BJP is among the people now because of Modi’s unquestioned leadership. His statements were welcomed by party leaders while the the whole country is talking about the Rafael controversy in the face of opposition allegations.
Amit shah has asserted the Congress and other rivals are trying hard to form a front just to confront the BJP which is enough to say how much stronger the party has emerged under the Modi leadership in the past four and half years. Shah asserted now the situation has become like it is going to be a fight between Modi and others. What BJP leaders like to say is that the Congress is no match for their party at the national level despite the reverses in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
Amit Shah’s position under threat: Sangh demand
Questions are asked as to who should be held responsible for the defeat of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the three northern states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh recently. There are arguments that it is not proper for Modi and Amit Shah to claim credit for victories and blame others when the party faces defeats.
Against this backdrop, the Sangh Parivar organisations are bringing pressure on BJP National President Amit Shah to accept responsibility for the decline in electoral fortunes. One Sangh leader has even proposed the name of Madhya Pradesh former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s name for replacing Amit Shah. He says Amit Shah’s services may be utilised in the Parliament rather than the party all the time.
The Modi-Shah duo tasted unlimited success between 2014 and 2017 as the BJP seemed unstoppable in all its activities against the opposition parties. But things started turning against them especially the Rafale fighter jet scam came to the surface in the face of mounting criticism from Congress president Rahul Ganndhi.
There is no threat to Modi’s renomination as the prime ministerial candidate of the BJP and the NDA in 2019 also. But Amit Shah is facing internal threat from within the Sangh. The next few months are very crucial for the future prospects of the Modi-Shah duo.
G.Ravikiran
