Shah meets Vaghela, sets tongues wagging

BJP President Amit Shah’s meeting with Gujarat’s Leader of Opposition Shankarsinh Vaghela at the State Assembly premises here has set tongues wagging. Shah was accompanied by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and State BJP chief Jitu Vaghani.

Shah, who is BJP MLA from Naranpura constituency in Ahmedabad, attended the Assembly on the penultimate day of the Budget Session for about an hour. The BJP chief’s visit to his home State is his first since the party’s stellar performance in the recent Assembly elections to five States.

The 15-minute meeting with Vaghela at his Assembly office is being seen as creating ‘favourable’ ground, amid speculation that the BJP could “accommodate” the former Chief Minister’s son, Mahendrasinh, in the coming polls. Several years ago, the BJP had earlier fielded former CM Keshubhai Patel’s son Bharat in the Assembly polls to quell dissidence and consolidate its position.

Colourful personality A former BJP strongman, the 77-year-old Vaghela, who once mentored Narendra Modi, reportedly offered “Opposition’s tea” to Shah and other leaders. Last week, Vaghela had, at a Congress meeting, announced his ‘withdrawal’ from the CM’s race. But his supporters aggressively launched a sponsored Facebook campaign projecting him as the next CM! On Tuesday, Vaghela told reporters that he would meet them in the “CM’s Chambers” next year on Gudi Padwa . This sparked fresh speculation about his next political move, particularly since he had recently met NCP chief Sharad Pawar, too.

As part of the BJP’s strategy to retain its fortress,, the BJP is likely to field turncoats in the Assembly elections the way it recently did in Uttar Pradesh and other States. With this stratagem, the ruling BJP could weaken the Congress, neutralise any anti-incumbency, and also the impact of multiple agitations launched by the Patidars, OBCs, Dalits and others over the last two years.

Early polls: local media Reports in a section of the Gujarati media suggested that Rupani could recommend dissolution of the Assembly and holding of fresh elections soon after its current session comes to an end on Friday, paving the way for early polls.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi is expected to visit Gujarat on April 17.

During his two-day visit to Gujarat, Shah addressed a large BJP workers’ meeting in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, exhorting them to win at least 151 Assembly seats, out of 182, as targeted by Modi. Before leaving for New Delhi on Friday morning, he will meet party leaders and participate in a dinner hosted by Vaghani.