Amit is the Shah of all he surveys
This will be remembered as the age of Amit Shah, the nationalist, the loyal son of India
Ever wondered who will be Modi’s heir? Well, the larger Sangh knows, and nearly all the BJP leaders who count, say it will be Amit Shah, federal home minister, and currently the Shah of all he surveys. Shah, 54, has had a chequered political career. From going to jail for alleged offences, ranging from extortion to fake encounter killings, to the alleged snoop gate controversy, being externed from the state of Gujarat by the Supreme Court.
And today, in a twist, which is nearly as fantastical as a masala Bollywood film, Shah as home minister is the cadre controlling authority of Indian Police Service officials.
Shah is uber confident in both Houses of Parliament despite the fact that he is a first time Lok Sabha MP from Gandhinagar in Gujarat, a seat held for multiple terms by the BJP’s erstwhile strongman L.K. Advani.
Shah used to be Advani’s election manager and currently is the BJP’s uber heavyweight leader. Another irony, which certainly won’t be lost on Advani, the original “wrath yatri” as a senior Congress leader describes him.
Advani has pioneered the politics of what he used to describe as “pseudo secularism” which had seen north India go up in flames when he took out a Rath Yatra (chariot procession) in 1990 to build a Ram temple in Ayodhya at the site of the Babri Masjid.
This is new even in the BJP’s politics. Advani and former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee did make up a partnership, but it was a wary alliance beset with doubts and tensions. Shah and Modi, on the other hand, are an effortless double act.
Shah, the nationalist who saved Kashmir for India. Shah, the nationalist who is trying to ensure the Indian state stands tall against all comers. It’s a dream run. And will in time give Shah a starring role in Indian history. Being Modi’s heir is natural selection and succession.
Workaholic
Shah today is hoping to cash in on that issue in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections next year. The Supreme Court is currently holding day-today hearings in the vexed issue.
Shah is known to be a workaholic, incredibly arrogant and absolutely in tandem with his boss — Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The fact that someone as narcissistic and as much as a big headline chaser as Modi let Shah, who piloted the controversial repeal of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, which gave the state a special status in the Indian Union, be the face of the move vouches for the fact that Modi has absolute trust in Shah.
In his first term, Modi had reduced his Cabinet to cardboard ciphers, including then Home Minister Rajnath Singh. This time around Shah’s swagger is unmistakable and the duo together make up the most successful partnership in Indian politics.
Double act
This is new even in the BJP’s politics. Advani and former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee did make up a partnership, but it was a wary alliance beset with doubts and tensions.
Shah and Modi, on the other hand, are an effortless double act. Extremely rare in politics which is the description of constant war by other means.
Shah is not only Modi’s effective deputy, but also continues as the president of the BJP — a first in the party’s history, which used to make a fetish of one man, one post.
But the BJP and the Sangh can’t get enough of Shah’s successful electoral endeavours. I have covered the BJP for around 20 years and I have never seen a more powerful leader than Shah in a party where equal leaders used to jostle for being first among equals.
This will be remembered as the age of Shah in the history of the BJP. Not only has he ensured that rival parties are left eating dust, but he has also made the BJP the richest party in Asia.
Dream run
With Article 370 gone, Shah will now directly deal with Kashmir and the fallout of the decision. But have you ever heard of a politician who will benefit whichever way the decision goes?
Shah, the nationalist who saved Kashmir for India. Shah, the nationalist who is trying to ensure the Indian state stands tall against all comers. It’s a dream run. And will in time give Shah a starring role in Indian history. Being Modi’s heir is natural selection and succession.
■ Swati Chaturvedi is an award-winning print and broadcast journalist. Her book “I am a Troll — Inside the BJP’s secret digital army” has received international acclaim.
Twitter: @Bainjal.