AAP won’t open account in Gujarat elections: Amit Shah

New Delhi, Nov 30: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has downplayed AAP's challenge in Gujarat polls, claiming Arvind Kejriwal's party may not even open its account, and said the BJP state unit's announcement of setting up anti-radicalisation cell is a good initiative that can be considered by other states and the Centre. In an interview to PTI, Shah described Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity, all-round development of Gujarat during his tenure as the state chief minister and the implementation of zero appeasement policy as the main reasons for people repeatedly reposing faith in the BJP over the last 27 years. "The BJP will register an unprecedented victory in Gujarat. People have full faith in our party and our leader Prime Minister Narendra Modi," said Shah, who has been crisscrossing the state and addressing five rallies a day in the run-up to the two-phase polls on December 1 and 5.

On the question of AAP entering Gujarat assembly elections, the BJP leader said, "Every party has a right to contest elections, but it is up to people whether they accept the party or not. "AAP is nowhere in the mind of the people of Gujarat. Wait for election results, maybe AAP's name would not figure in the list of successful candidates," he said. While the Congress has been the BJP's principal rival in Gujarat, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (APP) has undertaken an aggressive campaign in Modi's home state.

On Congress, Shah said, "It is still the main opposition party, but the party is going through a crisis, and its impact is visible in Gujarat as well." Asked about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra, Shah said sustained efforts are a must in politics.

As many as 788 candidates are in the fray for 89 seats across 19 districts of south Gujarat and Kutch-Saurashtra regions where voting will be held on Thursday.

The state, which has traditionally witnessed a bipolar contest between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress, has a third player this time in the form of Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which has fielded candidates on 181 out of total 182 seats in the Assembly.