Ahmedabad: In an interview to Gujarati magazine Chitralekha, BJP national president Amit Shah said BJP believes in contesting elections on own strength and not on weakness of opponents.

In reference to upcoming Gujarat assembly polls, Amit Shah in this interview said BJP has decided to have 150 plus seat target based on the strength of party organization. BJP has done micro planning to achieve this target. “We have detailed planning for each block, each seat, each taluka panchayat seat where we are weak. When Narendrabhai was Chief Minister of Gujarat, the party won 128 seats. Today he is Prime Minister and we have our government in the State too, then we should have target of 150 plus seats.”

Shah refused to believe that Narendra Modi is absent in Gujarat. He said Narendrabhai has gone out of Gujarat but not out of the country. He is keeping eye on all States, especially on Gujarat.

When asked whether he would contest assembly election in Gujarat later this year, Shah who is sitting MLA from Naranpura seat in Ahmedabad hinted that it is not likely. He said the party would take decision on that but he believes there’s no relevance (auchitya nathi, he said in Gujarati).

Shah said he visits Gujarat almost every month and sits with organizational workers to discuss programmes receive reporting.

Shah said, “BJP is not new to Gujarat and Gujarat is not new to BJP. We have not lost even one election since 1990s. It is BJP that has given curfew free Gujarat, it is BJP that has given dark free Gujarat and provided 24-hour electricity, it is BJP that has given tanker-raj free Gujarat. Narmada water is supplied upto Khavda. Industrial growth rate, employment, agriculture development rate above 10% for 15 years, these are big achievements. There are many achievements.”

When asked about Patidar quota agitation, Shah said he believes people of Gujarat have come out of impact of agitations.

In reply to question related to anti incumbency, Shah said anti-incumbancy was talked about in 2002, 2007, 2012 and even 2014 Lok Sabha polls. It is now being mentioned in 2017. Wherever the governments perform well, there’s no reason for anti-incumbency.

On his meeting with Shankersinh Vaghela, Shah said it was just a courtesy call. He has been knowing Shankersinh since early days

“Why there should be atmosphere of tension between two parties,” Shah said adding that neither Shankersinh Vaghela has expressed wish to join BJP nor BJP has made any offer to him.

When asked whether Yogi Adityanath will be a star campaigner in Gujarat elections, Shah said the party will declare the list of star campaigners at appropriate time.

In reply to another question, Shah defended entry of opponent leaders to BJP. Shah said, if someone is elected and decided to change the party without giving resignation and going to public, it is highly unethical. But when someone rethinks about ideology of BJP and performance of BJP government and he/she goes to the people and get elected, then the verdict of people is supreme in democracy.

Shah said people from other parties wish to join BJP.

Shah described the works done by BJP government in Gujarat and in Centre and said apart from performance, the biggest thing is that BJP has 1.14 crore party workers, and “I have booth wise register of them. And they are not just in the book, but it is a vibrant strength.”

DeshGujarat