In a move intended to bring the party fully in sync with Narendra Modi, the BJP parliamentary board named his trusted political colleague Amit Shah as the new party president.
The elevation of the 50-year-old BJP general secretary comes after the success of his election strategy in Uttar Pradesh that netted 73 of 80 seats for the party and its local allies in the Lok Sabha polls, propelling the BJP to cross the majority mark on its own steam.
The change was necessitated because of the one man-one post principle under which Rajnath Singh could not continue as party president after taking over as home minister in the Modi government.
Initially, the leadership had considered general secretary Jagat P Nadda too for the party chief 's post.
However, Shah's role in the UP polls, his reputation as an efficient election strategist and the estimate that he would be better at dealing with oversized egos tipped the scales in his favour, with the leadership and RSS bosses shrugging off any doubts about the political feasibility of having both the PM and the party chief from Gujarat.
Shah's appointment, which was criticized by the Congress and AAP because of the criminal cases he faces, marks the extension of the Gujarat model of politics where the party, working in tandem with the state government, remains in constant campaign mode. It is meant to head off the inertia that took over the party during the NDA's first tenure. The Vajpayee government had eclipsed the organization--an asymmetry which was later diagnosed as one of the factors behind the stunning loss in 2004.
Shah enjoys Modi's trust. He was among the few who helped Modi with the delicate task of ministry-making. According to sources, Shah is sounded out by the Prime Minister on important issues. Amit Shah’s rise to the BJP president’s post sets the stage for Narendra Modi’s priorities being closely reflected by the BJP in terms of organizational appointments and objectives. The possibility of a mismatch is almost eliminated by the appointment. Shah’s immediate task is to prepare the Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand units for assembly elections that the BJP brass feels the party must win to capitalize on the momentum generated by the Lok Sabha victory.
Modi strongly endorsed his protege as Rajnath Singh’s replacement, saying Shah has deservedly earned his spurs by working his way up the organizational ladder. “Amitbhai started his journey as an ordinary ‘karyakarta’ and has repeatedly proven himself through tireless hard work and determination,” Modi tweeted after the BJP parliamentary board met on Wednesday morning to announce Shah as the new BJP chief.
Shah is expected to work with the current office-bearers. However, a shuffle is not being ruled out. He has to confirm Ram Madhav and Shiv Prakash as general secretaries amid speculation that the latter may be considered for the important responsibility of looking after the organization. His approach is expected to be inclusive and this means a responsible position for younger leaders like general secretary J P Nadda who enjoys agood rapport with the new BJP chief. The BJP is confident of doing well in the forthcoming elections, but it is aware that state units are not been in the pink of health.
The elevation of the 50-year-old BJP general secretary comes after the success of his election strategy in Uttar Pradesh that netted 73 of 80 seats for the party and its local allies in the Lok Sabha polls, propelling the BJP to cross the majority mark on its own steam.
The change was necessitated because of the one man-one post principle under which Rajnath Singh could not continue as party president after taking over as home minister in the Modi government.
Initially, the leadership had considered general secretary Jagat P Nadda too for the party chief 's post.
However, Shah's role in the UP polls, his reputation as an efficient election strategist and the estimate that he would be better at dealing with oversized egos tipped the scales in his favour, with the leadership and RSS bosses shrugging off any doubts about the political feasibility of having both the PM and the party chief from Gujarat.
Shah's appointment, which was criticized by the Congress and AAP because of the criminal cases he faces, marks the extension of the Gujarat model of politics where the party, working in tandem with the state government, remains in constant campaign mode. It is meant to head off the inertia that took over the party during the NDA's first tenure. The Vajpayee government had eclipsed the organization--an asymmetry which was later diagnosed as one of the factors behind the stunning loss in 2004.
Shah enjoys Modi's trust. He was among the few who helped Modi with the delicate task of ministry-making. According to sources, Shah is sounded out by the Prime Minister on important issues. Amit Shah’s rise to the BJP president’s post sets the stage for Narendra Modi’s priorities being closely reflected by the BJP in terms of organizational appointments and objectives. The possibility of a mismatch is almost eliminated by the appointment. Shah’s immediate task is to prepare the Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand units for assembly elections that the BJP brass feels the party must win to capitalize on the momentum generated by the Lok Sabha victory.
Modi strongly endorsed his protege as Rajnath Singh’s replacement, saying Shah has deservedly earned his spurs by working his way up the organizational ladder. “Amitbhai started his journey as an ordinary ‘karyakarta’ and has repeatedly proven himself through tireless hard work and determination,” Modi tweeted after the BJP parliamentary board met on Wednesday morning to announce Shah as the new BJP chief.
Shah is expected to work with the current office-bearers. However, a shuffle is not being ruled out. He has to confirm Ram Madhav and Shiv Prakash as general secretaries amid speculation that the latter may be considered for the important responsibility of looking after the organization. His approach is expected to be inclusive and this means a responsible position for younger leaders like general secretary J P Nadda who enjoys agood rapport with the new BJP chief. The BJP is confident of doing well in the forthcoming elections, but it is aware that state units are not been in the pink of health.
No comments:
Post a Comment