As BJP president, Amit Shah’s agenda is clear
Mr Amit Shah's appointment as president of the Bharatiya Janata Party does not come as a surprise. After having crafted a stupendous victory for the party in Uttar Pradesh, the senior leader had been the favourite to take over from Mr Rajnath Singh after the latter became a Union Minister. Mr Shah is not just a grassroots leader but also something of an organisational genius. In addition, he enjoys the confidence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with whom he had worked closely in Gujarat. Critics held two issues against his elevation: The first is that he faces criminal cases in the court, and the second is that it would be improper to have both the Prime Minister and the party chief from Gujarat. Mr Shah and his supporters have maintained that the cases are politically motivated and that he will be cleared of the charges in due course of time. As for the second objection, they point out that Mr Modi should not be viewed from the narrow prism of a State — he is the Prime Minister of the entire country. There is logic in both these arguments, although one can be sure that the opposition parties will raise a ruckus and lose no opportunity to embarrass Mr Shah and the BJP. On the flip side, they have been doing it for years now, not just with Mr Shah but also with Mr Modi, and yet the people have resoundingly rejected them and decisively mandated the BJP-led NDA headed by Mr Modi to govern the country. But, for the Congress, which has been reduced to its lowest tally ever, clutching at straws is the only option, and it will be happy enough to keep directing barbs at Mr Modi, Mr Shah and the BJP even if the efforts bear no fruit.
Meanwhile, Mr Shah has better things to concentrate on than to keep deflecting criticism on his supposed communal bias and alleged criminality. The law will do its job and so should he. Important State Assembly elections are round the corner and Mr Shah has to ensure that the BJP uses the momentum of the lok Sabha victory to snatch power from the Congress and its allies in those States. Interestingly, the BJP performed spectacularly well in Maharashtra and Haryana — two key States that vote in months from now. Gopinath Munde's untimely death has somewhat complicated matters for the party in Maharashtra because Munde was a key figure of the BJP in the State's politics and had played a critical role in keeping harmony between the Shiv Sena and the BJP. Mr Shah has an opportunity to replicate his Uttar Pradesh success. However, unlike in the northern State, he has to contend with a strong ally in Maharashtra and work out arrangements that do not threaten to throw a spanner in the works. He has to capitalise on the anger that exists over the misgovernance the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party combine has given the people of Maharashtra. In Haryana too, he has to shape the party's strategy on whether to go it alone or align with a regional party such as the Indian National lok Dal or the Haryana Janhit Congress. Then there is Delhi, if and when there is an election. But Mr Shah's task goes beyond the coming Assembly contests; he has to keep the party fit for many other challenges ahead, including the 2019 lok Sabha election. He is the best man to do so.