The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
Modi’s victory procession coming to Gujarat: Shah
EXHORTING BJP workers to ensure the party’s victory on at least 150 out of the 182 seats in the upcoming Assembly elections, its national president Amit Shah on Wednesday said “under the leadership of Narendra Modi, the victory procession of the BJP is coming to Gujarat in November”.
At a huge convention of BJP workers on the Sabarmati riverfront, Shah asked, “Are you ready for the elections?” The crowd replied with loud cheers. The convention was organised to celebrate the BJP’S success in the recently held Assembly polls.
“Under the leadership of Narendra Modi, the victory procession of the BJP is coming to Gujarat in November... and will move on to Odisha,” Shah said.
“When Narendra Modi was Chief Minister, the BJP had won 128 seats (in 2002 elections). Now, when he is Prime Minister, how many seats can the BJP win?” Shah asked. The workers replied “150”. “There is no other math required,” the party chief said. The BJP holds 120 seats in Gujarat.
Chief Minister Vijay Rupani likened the Modi-shah duo to “Mahatma Gandhi-sardar Vallabhbhai Patel”, Chandragupta Maurya-chanakya and Atal Bihari Vajpayee-l K Advani.
Wednesday’s event was seen by many observers as the public launching of Shah's new avataar in his home state. His protege Rupani put it in words. He said the UP success credit went to “Narendrabhai’s popularity and Amitbhai’s tremendous hard work”.
The chief of Thakore samaj outfit in north Gujarat, who was present at the event, said, “There was a time in May 2014 when Amitbhai could not become a Chief Minister... but by 2017 he has proved himself so capable that now a post of Chief Minister is too small for him.”