Who is the Man of the Match for Modi’s record victory?
His hold on the party was absolute. With this victory, it is set to get stronger.
Elections in India do not just decide the fate of those who contest — elections also decide the fate of those who chart strategies to win them, the behind-the-scenes players who lay the ground work for monumental victories or unfortunate total collapses. Lok Sabha Elections 2019 have spotlighted the fortunes of BJP president Amit Shah as the undisputed leader in the party who has helped Narendra Modi deliver this massive victory right from the front.
Under Shah, the BJP, which was founded in 1980, surged to become the world’s largest political party surpassing the Communist Party of China, which was established in 1921.
In 2015, the BJP had 88 million registered members. In 2014, the number had stood at a little over 35 million.
In the run-up to the 2019 battle, much like 2014, while Modi was the face of the party, Shah was often clubbed in political references like the 'Modi-Shah duo'. His hold on the party is, for now, absolute. This power draws from the fact that he has been able to deliver victories. And those victories have come in crucial and difficult states like Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
BJP’s massive victory of 282 Lok Sabha seats in 2014 was attributed to a Modi wave which inundated caste-class divides. But the landslide victory on 71 seats in Uttar Pradesh was attributed to BJP president Amit Shah. He was solely credited for managing and reviving the party cadre, his efforts leading to a straight jump of 61 seats from a tally of 10 in 2009. Subsequently, he is credited with having won 14 states for the BJP within four years.
When political analysts sit down to understand what went in favour of the BJP, Amit Shah would rank just behind Modi.
If Modi was the face of this campaign, Shah clearly was its brain.
It is important to trace Shah's political journey to understand why he is so important. Shah was elected an MLA from Gujarat's Sarkhej in four consecutive elections: 1997 (by-election), 1998, 2002 and 2007. Shah also represented Naranpura as an MLA, winning the seat in the 2012 elections.
Amit Shah has weathered many a storm in Gujarat. He has even been to jail for a brief period in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case. Aspersions have been cast over his role in the death of Justice BH Loya.
Shah remained unscathed.
He was handpicked by Modi to devise the 2014 election strategy. Shah had no significant national experience prior to that. Today, he has achieved a bigger victory from Gujarat's Gandhinagar than LK Advani ever could. More importantly, Shah had helped built the cult of Modi.
In the Northeast, in West Bengal, in Odisha, Shah has been working — and working relentlessly. The results are there for everyone to see.
Much before Modi reached these places to shower his charisma on them, Shah ensured a rapt audience was waiting to listen. When Modi launched the ‘Mera booth sabse mazboot’ campaign to enthuse party workers, it was Shah who had ensured every booth was actually working to the last detail set by him.
Shah is just 54.
He has all the time and the energy to deliver many more victories for the BJP.
He is the clear — undisputed — Man of the Match.