On Friday, Amit Shah, India's Home Minister, officially entered the race for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Opting to represent Gandhinagar, a seat steeped in BJP tradition, Shah's nomination is poised for a May 7th vote in the election's third phase. Following his candidacy filing, Shah shared a moment of pride as he aspires to represent the same constituency once shaped by leaders like L.K. Advani and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Under PM Narendra Modi's leadership, the government claims to have accomplished numerous feats for the people.
Amit Shah's affidavit surfaced promptly after his nomination, revealing some unexpectedly modest details: he lacks a personal car, identifies as a farmer by profession alongside his social work, and sources his income from an MP's salary, property rentals, agriculture, and shares dividends. Additionally, it was disclosed that Shah faces three criminal cases.
Here's a glimpse into the Home Minister's affidavit:
1. Central Home Minister Amit Shah currently owns no personal vehicle.2. He possesses movable assets worth ₹20 crores and immovable assets of ₹16 crores.3. Shah has an outstanding loan of ₹15.77 lakhs.4. Only ₹24,164 in cash is held by him.
5. Amit Shah’s jewellery is valued at ₹72 lakhs, which includes pieces he purchased for ₹8.76 lakhs.6. His wife possesses jewellery worth ₹1.10 crores, including 1620 grams of gold and diamond pieces tallying at 63 carats.7. Shah’s annual income for the year 2022–23 stands at ₹75.09 lakhs.8. His wife’s annual earnings are noted at ₹39.54 lakhs.
9. Amit Shah lists farming and social work as his personal business endeavors and confirms the existence of three criminal cases filed against him.10. His income streams include an MP's salary, property rental income, agricultural revenue, and share dividends.11. His wife’s movable assets total ₹22.46 crores, immovable assets rest at ₹9 crores, and she carries a debt of ₹26.32 lakhs.
Subsequent to his nomination, Shah reflected, 'From a modest booth worker to a parliamentarian: it’s been a journey empowered by the public’s love. The BJP regime under Modi's leadership, both as CM and now PM, has initiated positive change. As a longtime legislator for this district, I've contributed to countless projects, not least of which include developments exceeding ₹22,000 crores in the past five years. The constituents have shown their trust by electing me with a significant majority in every contest.'
Gandhinagar's Legacy: Advani's Former Turf
Gandhinagar, prior to Amit Shah, was famously represented by BJP stalwart L.K. Advani. Advani secured wins from this seat six times, starting with his maiden win in 1991, and consecutively for the next five terms. In 2019, Shah broke Advani’s record (by over 4.83 lakh votes) with a victory margin exceeding 5 lakh votes on this noteworthy seat.
Voting Phase Three Shines on Gujarat
On a single day, Gujarat will cast votes for all 26 Lok Sabha seats. As part of the third phase, voting takes place on May 7th across all constituencies, with national count tallying set for June 4th.
