Amit Shah enters Lok Sabha foray, files nomination after NDA’s show of strength

Gandhinagar, Mar 30: BJP chief Amit Shah filed his nomination from Gandhinagar where he is contesting the Lok Sabha polls as BJP candidate, replacing party patriarch L K Advani.

He was accompanied by including Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Arun Jaitley. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray too was present.

The presence of top NDA leaders at the event is being seen as a show of support for Shah and an acknowledgement of him being the second most powerful leader in the alliance after Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Before filing the nomination, Shah paid tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and addressed an election rally in Naranpura area of Ahmedabad. He also participated in a road show from DRH Regency hotel to Patidar Chowk in Ghatlodia area.

Expressing deep gratitude to the BJP for making him what he is today, Shah at the 'Vijay Sankalp Sabha' said: "If BJP is taken away from my life, only 'zero' will be left. Whatever I've learnt and given to the country is all belongs to the BJP."

Shah, who was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat, has been nominated by the BJP for the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat.

Last date for filing nominations is April 4. Polling for all the 26 seats of Gujarat will take place on April 23.