‘Contest between BJP and Congress’: Shah targets AAP, says Gujarat never accepted third party

Apart from Janata Dal's Chimanbhai Patel, no other leader from a third party has become the chief minister in Gujarat, Shah said, citing the examples of Keshubhai Patel's Gujarat Parivartan Party and the local parties formed by Shankersinh Vaghela and Nathubhai Mavani.

On the rising incidence of drug seizures from Gujarat, Shah said, “Higher seizures mean the administration is alert." (Express File)

Union Home Minister Amit Shah Saturday dismissed the presence of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Gujarat saying the state did not allow space for a third party. “Gujarat has never accepted the concept of a third party… Gujarat’s politics is based on ideologies and a party that has no ideology… There is no possibility for such a party to gain roots in Gujarat. It can be said that it is a direct contest between BJP and Congress,” said Shah during a televised interview with Gujarati news channel Sandesh.

Apart from Janata Dal’s Chimanbhai Patel, no other leader from a third party has become the chief minister in Gujarat, Shah said, citing the examples of Keshubhai Patel’s Gujarat Parivartan Party and the local parties formed by Shankersinh Vaghela and Nathubhai Mavani. The “decisive public” of Gujarat “did not have any confusion”, he said.

Responding to allegations that the BJP’s decision to appoint a committee for the implementation of Uniform Civil Code (UCC) was to stir up sentiments during the elections, Shah said, “As far as UCC is concerned, it has been a promise since the time of Jan Sangh. We laid the foundation stone of Ram Janmabhoomi, which election was there? We abrogated Article 370, which election was there? We found an end to triple talaq, which election was there? It (UCC) has been an issue for us since the time of Jan Sangh that we must fulfil”.

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He added that had the Congress implemented UCC, “we wouldn’t have to bring it”. The mistakes and injustice caused during the Congress rule are being rectified by the BJP government, he said.

“(In) Article 14 and Article 15, it is clear that every person has a right to live equally. There cannot be different laws on the basis of religions and neither can they have special privileges based on religions. If the Congress believes that there should not be UCC, they should clearly say that to Gujarat’s public,” the Union Minister added.

Shah also dismissed anti-incumbency sentiments against the BJP in the state. Listing the achievements, he said anti-incumbency depends on how the government was run. “During the Congress (rule), villages would receive electricity for six to seven hours. Since 2004, there is no village that did not receive electricity 24 hours… The BJP government, by managing sustained development in Gujarat, has presented an ideal example before the public,” he said.

Brushing off allegations of the AAP being BJP’s B-team, Shah said, “There is no B or C team. The BJP is capable in itself to win elections. Such calculations have to be made when the vote share is going to be less than 50 per cent but since the past several elections, BJP’s vote share has been over 50 per cent. Hence, it does not matter at all.”

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Although he did not put a figure to the numbers of seats the party expects to win in the Gujarat polls, Shah expressed confidence that the party would win the elections. “I completely believe that the BJP, by breaking its own previous records with the maximum number of seats and maximum vote share, will win the 2022 Gujarat elections,” he said.

On the rising incidence of drug seizures from Gujarat, Shah said, “Higher seizures mean the administration is alert.”

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