In his first visit to his hometown Ahmedabad after becoming president of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Amit Shah received grand welcome at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel airport on Friday evening.
large number of BJP cadre including Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel and his Council of Ministers, State BJP president RC Faladu and other office-bearers and important functionaries of Ahmedabad and other cities thronged the airport. As Shah landed in Ahmedabad, BJP workers welcomed him with firecrackers, fireworks and danced on the beats of dhol and nagara.
“I started political career as booth worker in 1983 and gradually climbed as MlA, Minister and general secretary of the party. Now I am standing in front of you as the president of the party, the position once held by Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Deen Dayal Upadhyay, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and lK Advani. No other party has given chance yet to a grassroots level worker to hold this position,” said sentimental Shah adding that during his journey from Delhi to Ahmedabad he was remembering past three decades as BJP worker.
In his first public speech after becoming party president, Shah said that though BJP won with clear majority, the party has many challenges ahead including strengthening position in South and East States.
“BJP workers should go from door-to-door and spread the word about the good works of the Government and strengthen the party. Party workers are expected to play the role of a bridge between the people and Government,” Shah said. He also thanked party leadership and workers for standing by his side during the testing time of his life. He came to Ahmedabad for his son Jay’s engagement on Sunday.
Meanwhile, praising organisational ability of Shah, Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel said that, it was because of Shah’s hard work in Uttar Pradesh, the NDA Government came into power. She said that despite his son’s ring ceremony, he came only a day ahead, generally in such family function people take holiday for a month.