Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s close associate and incumbent BJP President Amit Shah was unanimously elected on Sunday for a full term of three years to head the ruling party, setting the stage for a new order and team at the organisation’s helm as well as an expected Cabinet reshuffle in the coming months.
The BJP chief’s re-election, despite recent electoral debacles in Delhi and Bihar under his watch, also reflects the continuing clout of the Modi-Shah duo over the ruling organisation.
Shah, as also the Prime Minister, had come under sharp attack from veterans in the party, including LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Yashwant Sinha and Shanta Kumar, after the BJP lost in Bihar last year.
Notwithstanding the attacks, Shah’s election, unlike the election of Rajnath Singh before him, was a smooth affair with no other contender challenging him. The entire parliamentary board, the BJP’s highest decision-making body which includes all the Prime Miniter and all the top Cabinet ministers, was present to support his candidature as were chief ministers from all the BJP-ruled States.
Changed scenario This was a very different scene from the dramatic election of Rajnath Singh as BJP President on January 23, 2013.
At the time, Nitin Gadkari, the incumbent BJP chief and chief contender, had to suddenly bow out due to a controversy arising out of Income Tax raids on companies associated with him. He was facing a challenge from Yashwant Sinha at the last minute.
Sinha had announced that he would contest Gadkari’s candidature, leading to the BJP hurriedly pushing Rajnath Singh to the fore.
Although Sinha has once again surfaced, firing at the BJP brass along with veterans like Advani and Joshi, he has clearly not received much support either from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a critical player in the election of the BJP president, or within the party organisation. The expression of solidarity by all top leaders in the BJP, sans Joshi and Advani who were not present on the occasion, was reflective of the strength of the Prime Minister’s support for Shah to lead the party.
Modi was among those who proposed Shah’s name for the top post. He was also the first to congratulate him even though he could not be at the BJP’s headquarters, having flown to Chandigarh earlier to receive French President Francois Hollande.
“Congratulations to Shri @AmitShah on being elected BJP president. I am confident the Party will scale newer heights under his leadership,” Modi tweeted after Shah was elected on Sunday afternoon.
“Amit Bhai combines grassroot-level work & rich organisational experience which will benefit the Party immensely,” said the Prime Minister in another post on the micro-blogging site.
This is Shah’s first full three-year term. He has been serving Rajnath Singh’s residual term since July 2014 when Singh was inducted in the Union Cabinet as Home Minister.
The residual term ended this Saturday and Shah filed his nomination for a fresh term on Sunday morning.
There was no challenger to Shah. “There was no other nomination because there was a consensus in the party,” Rajnath Singh told reporters.
Another former BJP President, M Venkaiah Naidu, announced Shah’s election soon after the formalities were completed.
“Amit Shah has been re-elected BJP President. Under his leadership, we have recorded tremendous victories. We will continue to march forward towards areas where we did not have presence. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is taking the country forward in every area. Amit Shah will take the party forward. This combination will do wonders for the party and the country in the coming days,” said Naidu.
“There was consensus that he should continue for the next three years,” he added.
Congratulations to Shri @AmitShah on being elected BJP president. I am confident the Party will scale newer heights under his leadership.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 24, 2016
Amit Bhai combines grassroot-level work & rich organisational experience which will benefit the Party immensely. @AmitShah
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 24, 2016