Amit Shah calls Bhupendra Patel 'next CM of Gujarat'

AHMEDABAD (GUJARAT): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday sounded confident when he said that he had come to the state with its next chief minister.

"Today with me is the next Chief Minister of Gujarat after the election," Amit Shah said while addressing a public gathering in Gujarat's Ahmedabad along with its Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.

Shah confidently exuded that he was accompanied by the next CM during the public address made hours before the latter was scheduled to file his nomination for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections.

Earlier on Tuesday, Union Home Minister expressed his trust in the BJP forming government in the Assembly elections slated to be held in two phases in early December and said that the party will "break all records and win with the most number of seats".

Shah, during his conversation with media persons on Tuesday, hailed the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and said that they are giving pace to the developmental work in the state.

The Home Minister also mentioned the law and order situation and said that it has improved in the state.

"The leadership of PM Modi and CM Patel is giving pace to development work. Gujarat's law and order situation has improved, state's economy has grown. PM Modi's development model for Dalits, tribals and OBC community of Gujarat is being followed by CM Patel," he said on November 15.

Shah in his address also mentioned the communal riots in the state from 1985 to 1995 and said that today's generation in Gujrat "might not know the meaning of curfew".

"This is the same Gujarat which saw a lot of communal riots from 1985 to 1995. And now, even if you ask a small kid about curfew, he might not know its meaning," Shah said.

He further attacked Congress for coming with "new clothes" and asked how their work was visible in Gujarat when they have not worked in the state since 1990.

"Congress has come wearing new clothes, I have seen posters all over Gujarat, stating 'Congress nu Kam bole chhe' (Congress' work is speaking). If they have not ruled since 1990, how is their work speaking?" Shah mocked.

Evidently, Congress is hoping to put its best electoral foot forward to unseat the BJP government, which has been in the state for the last 27 years. Gujarat is considered a BJP bastion.

On Monday, the BJP released its fourth list of candidates, where it announced 12 names including two women candidates.

Earlier, the party released the names of 167 candidates for Gujarat polls and fielded Lavingji Thakor from Radhanpur while VJ Jhala has been been given the ticket from Himatnagar. Alpesh Thakor has been fielded from Gandhinagar South.

The party has also fielded Rajulben Desai and Ritaben Patel from Patan and Gandhinagar North respectively. Further, Babu Singh Jadhav will contest from Vatva.

In its second list of six candidates, which was released on Saturday, the BJP had also given the ticket to at least two women. It has fielded Mahendrabhai Padaliya from Dhoraji, Mulubhai Bera from Khambhalia, Dheliben Maldebhai Odedara from Kutiyana, Sejal Rajiv Kumar Pandya from Bhavnagar East, Hitesh Devji Vasava from Dediapada (ST) and Sandeep Desai from Choryasi.

The BJP announced the first list of candidates for 160 candidates out of the 182 constituencies, on Thursday, for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections. The first list of 160 candidates includes 14 females, 13 from scheduled caste, 24 from the scheduled tribe and there are 69 candidates who have been repeated.

In the first round, 89 of the total 182 Assembly seats will go to polls and prominent political parties have declared their candidates for almost all these constituencies. The BJP has drawn up a list of star campaigners for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections.

Topping the list is Prime Minister Narendra Modi besides the party's national president JP Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari and fellow central cabinet colleagues Smriti Irani, Dharmendra Pradhan, Mansukh Mandaviya and Purushottam Rupala.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, who is seeking a fresh mandate from the Ghatlodia Assembly segment, also features in the star campaigners list along with BJP state president CR Patil and state Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi.

The ruling party is seeking its seventh, straight term in power in the ensuing state polls. The state has been a BJP stronghold for a long time, and the party has set its sights on returning to power with a handsome majority this time.

However, it faces a stiff electoral challenge from the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has named Isudan Gadhvi as its chief ministerial candidate.