Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday arrived in Ahemdabad ahead of the crucial 8-seat assembly by-polls in the State. This makes Shah’s first visit to Gujarat since the lockdown in March.

Shah was given a warm welcome by the party as State unit chief CR Paatil welcomed him at the Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel airport.

While there is no official word about Shah’s programme in the State, but he is expected to stay till October 17.

Party sources informed that as a regular ritual, Shah and his family will visit the family deity’s temple in Mansa in North Gujarat on the first day of Navratri. Besides personal engagements, the Lok Sabha MP from Gandhinagar is also likely to hold meetings with the party workers, leaders besides key figures including the Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel and State Party President CR Paatil.

By-election

Amit Shah’s Gujarat visit holds significance ahead of the crucial 8-seat Assembly by-elections in the State scheduled for November 3.

Eight Assembly seats of Abdasa, Limbdi, Gadhada, Dangs, Dhari, Morbi, Kaprada and Karjan will go for bypolls after they were vacant post resignations by Congress MLAs, who switched sides. Five Congress MLAs had resigned in March and three in June this year.

The BJP has so far declared seven candidates for the polls, of which five are former Congress MLAs. The Congress, on the other hand has allotted tickets to five candidates.

In the backdrop of Covid-19 led disruptions, and growing discontent among farmers and small traders, BJP is looking to tighten its grip on the voters and ensure maximum seats from the Congress kitty.

Congress is seen capitalising on the alleged mismanagement and data fudging by the administration on Covid-19 in the State.

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