Homing in on Delhi

After stepping aside as party president, Amit Shah is going all out to win Delhi, a state that had eluded him during his highly successful tenure.

- PRATUL SHARMA

HOME MINISTER AMIT Shah, self confessedly, does not ruminate over losses. Back in 2015, a few months into his tenure as party president, the BJP lost the Delhi and Bihar state elections. Lessons learnt, the party changed tack and subsequently won several other states.

Delhi, however, remained elusive.

On January 22, two days after passing the baton of party president to J.P. Nadda, Shah dove headlong into electoral battle. He went micro, asking his party leaders to form small teams, go to households, and hold street-side meetings and roadshows. Shah himself hit the road, addressing three meetings every evening. Additionally, all party chief ministers, former chief ministers and even those from allied parties have been roped in to carpet bomb the state. In a final push, the leadership told 375 parliamentarians to visit Delhi slums for six hours, for four days. This has been the BJP’s most intense Delhi campaign ever, and even rival parties believe the party’s campaign has picked up with Shah taking control.