This is an archive article published on November 30, 2021
In Amit Shah’s seat, BJP to start sports league named after Article 370
🔴 According to Ahmedabad city BJP unit general secretary Jitubhai Patel, the league is named after Article 370, “which was abrogated in 2019 under Amit Shah’s leadership”, and there are plans to start tournaments in the middle of December.
3 min readGandhinagarUpdated: Nov 30, 2021 05:49 PM IST
Gujarat MoS Jagdish Vishwakarma, who organised the Karnavati Premier League (KPL) for cricket in Ahmedabad five years ago, has been asked to plan the tournaments. Incidentally, Amit Shah had inaugurated the KPL in 2016.
The BJP in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar, the Lok Sabha constituency represented by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, is planning to host tournaments in cricket and kabaddi under the label Gandhinagar Loksabha Premier League 370, or GLPL 370, to “draw maximum number of youth to the party”, local leaders said.
According to Ahmedabad city BJP unit general secretary Jitubhai Patel, the league is named after Article 370, “which was abrogated in 2019 under Amit Shah’s leadership”, and there are plans to start tournaments in the middle of December.
Harshad Patel, who is the BJP in-charge of Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency, told The Indian Express: “The events have been organised to make the (young) voters, whose names are on the voters’ list, pro-BJP. For that, cricket and kabaddi have been selected. The target is to have at least two teams in each ward (one each for cricket and kabaddi).”
Harshad Patel said: “Home Minister Amit Shah first discussed this (idea) with around 8-10 of us in the party.” Subsequently, he said, a meeting of 200-250 party workers was called and various responsibilities assigned.
For instance, Gujarat MoS Jagdish Vishwakarma, who organised the Karnavati Premier League (KPL) for cricket in Ahmedabad five years ago, has been asked to plan the tournaments. Incidentally, Amit Shah had inaugurated the KPL in 2016.
BJP state unit general secretary, Pradipsinh Vaghela, said: “An entire team of the Lok Sabha constituency is involved. The plan is to organise one kabaddi tournament for the entire constituency and seven cricket tournaments, one for each of its seven assembly segments. The registration of teams is already on.”
The seven assembly segments are Vejalpur, Ghatlodia, Naranpura, Sabarmati, Kalol, Gandhinagar (North) and Sanand. The Lok Sabha constituency has around 1,800 booths across Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, and local BJP office-bearers have been assigned responsibilities from identifying teams, venues and commentators to framing rules.
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The league is currently open for men only, and the cricket matches will be played using tennis balls at grounds rented from local private owners, BJP leaders said. Publicity for the tournament is mainly being done through WhatsApp groups at the ward level, they said.
Shah had been associated with the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) since 2007, and played a key role in ending the 16-year reign of Congress leaders in the state unit. Shah was also vice chairman of GCA when the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was chairman. Shah’s son, Jay Shah, is the current BCCI secretary.
“On the lines of Narendrabhai’s concept of motivating players through Khel Mahakumbh, Amitbhai has got this (cricket and kabaddi tournament) organised. It is being done through his guidance and motivation. By Wednesday, we should be able to get the first lot of registered teams,” said Jitubhai Patel, the Ahmedabad city BJP unit general secretary.
Parimal A Dabhi works with The Indian Express as Chief of Bureau, focusing on the state of Gujarat. Leveraging his seniority and access, Dabhi is recognized for his reporting on the complex interplay of law, politics, social justice, and governance within the region.
Expertise & Authority
Core Authority (Social Justice and Law): Dabhi is a key source for in-depth coverage of caste-based violence, discrimination, and the state's response to social movements, particularly those involving Patidar, Dalit and OBC communities. His reporting focuses on the societal and legal fallout of these issues:
Caste and Discrimination: He has reported extensively on social boycotts and instances of violence against Dalits (such as the attack on a Dalit wedding party in Patan), the community's demands (like refusing to pick carcasses), and the political responses from leaders like Jignesh Mevani.
Judicial and Legal Affairs: He tracks significant, high-stakes legal cases and judgments that set precedents in Gujarat, including the convictions under the stringent Gujarat Animal Preservation Act (cow slaughter), 2002 Gujarat riots and developments in cases involving former police officers facing charges of wrongful confinement and fake encounters.
Political and Administrative Oversight: Dabhi provides essential coverage of the inner workings of the state government and the opposition, ensuring a high degree of Trustworthiness in political analysis:
State Assembly Proceedings: He frequently reports directly from the Gujarat Assembly, covering Question Hour, discussion on various Bills, debates on budgetary demands for departments like Social Justice, and ministerial statements on issues like illegal mining, job quotas for locals, and satellite-based farm loss surveys.
Electoral Politics: His work details key political developments, including election analysis (voter turnout records), party organizational changes (like the end of C R Patil’s tenure as BJP chief), and campaign dynamics. ... Read More
