Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday submitted his nomination papers for Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat where he is contesting as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate and said the general election is all about securing a third term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Mr. Shah was accompanied by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel when he submitted the nomination papers to Gandhinagar collector and district election officer M.K. Dave in the state capital at exactly 12.39 pm, considered as 'Vijay Muhurat'.
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Talking to reporters, Mr. Shah said this election is all about giving a third straight term to Mr. Modi so that he can make India a developed country by 2047.
‘Correcting UPA’s mistakes’
The Union Minister said Modi’s third stint in power will be crucial because his first two terms went into “correcting the mistakes” made by the previous Congress-led UPA government.
“This election is all about making Narendra Modi our PM for the third time. Modiji has resolved to turn India into a developed country by 2047 and number one in all sectors. The next five years are crucial if we want to achieve that because the last 10 years went into filling the pits left behind by the previous UPA government,” the top BJP leader said.
The next five years would be used to create a strong foundation for 'Viksit Bharat', he added.
Thanking the BJP for renominating him from the seat once represented by stalwarts like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L.K. Advani, Mr. Shah said the seat holds significance also because Prime Minister Modi is a registered voter from here.
‘30 year association’
"I have been associated with this seat for the last 30 years. Before becoming an MP, I was an MLA from Assembly segments that fall under this seat. Thanks to your love, I rose from a humble booth worker to becoming a Member of Parliament now. People of Gandhinagar gave me their blessings whenever I sought their votes," he said.
Developmental works of more than ₹22,000 crore were undertaken in Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat in the last five years, he added.
Mr. Shah, a former BJP president, won from the Gandhinagar constituency by a margin of more than five lakh votes in the 2019 general election.
The Opposition Congress has fielded party secretary Sonal Patel from Gandhinagar in this election. Voting for all 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat will be held in the third phase on May 7.
Mr. Shah on Thursday held three back-to-back roadshows covering nearly 20 km in Gandhinagar amid much fanfare.
These roadshows traversed areas falling under Sanand, Kalol, Sabarmati, Ghatlodia, Naranpura and Vejalpur Assembly segments in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar districts, all part of the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat.
At the end of the last roadshow in Ahmedabad, Mr. Shah also addressed a large gathering in Vejalpur area and appealed to voters to ensure the BJP's victory.
