Even as BJP President Amit Shah sought to put off the forthcoming elections to Gujarat Vidhan Sabha until November 2017, speculation about early polls only intensified on Thursday when he met Leader of the Opposition Shankarsinh Vaghela along with Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and State BJP chief Jitu Vaghani at the Assembly premises here.
Shah, who is BJP MLA from Naranpura constituency in Ahmedabad, attended the Budget Session’s penultimate day for about an hour on his first visit to Gujarat after recent elections to five State Assemblies, before he and others called on Vaghela in his Assembly office.
The 15-minute meeting aimed at creating a ‘favourable’ ground amid speculation that the BJP could “accommodate” former CM Vaghela’s son, Mahendrasinh, in the coming polls the way it had earlier fielded former CM Keshubhai Patel’s son Bharat in the Assembly polls to quell dissidence and consolidate position.
Former BJP strongman Vaghela, the 77-year-old war horse and expert political acrobat who once mentored Narendra Modi, during his 15-minute meeting, offered “Opposition’s tea” to Shah and other leaders.
Last week, Vaghela had, in a Congress meeting, announced ‘withdrawal’ from the CM’s race. But his supporters aggressively launched a sponsored Facebook campaign projecting him as the next CM!
On Tuesday, Vaghela himself told reporters that he would meet them in the “CM’s Chambers” next year on Gudi Padwa. This sparked fresh speculation about his next political move, particularly as he had recently met NCP chief Sharad Pawar as well.
Sources said that BJP would leave no stone unturned to retain its Gujarat fortress. As part of this strategy, it is likely to field the Opposition’s selected turncoats in the Gujarat Assembly elections the way it recently did in Uttar Pradesh and other states. This could weaken the Congress beyond repair even before votes are actually polled.
With this stratagem, the ruling BJP could neutralise any anti-incumbency and impact of multiple agitations launched by the Patidars, OBCs, Dalits and others over the last two years.
Reports in a section of the Gujarati media suggested that Rupani could recommend dissolution of the Assembly and holding of fresh elections soon after its current session comes to an end on Friday, paving the way for early polls before the commencement of monsoon in mid-June.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Gujarat on April 17.
During his two-day visit to Gujarat, Shah addressed a large BJP workers’ meeting in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, exhorting them to win at least 151 Assembly seats, out of 182, as targeted by Modi.
Before leaving for New Delhi on Friday morning, he will meet party leaders and participate in a dinner hosted by Vaghani. Shah is currently busy with the April elections to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).