Gujarat CM Narendra Modi jokes around with Narhari Amin, a Congress candidate, after the chief minister filed his nominations for the forthcoming elections.
CM Narendra Modi, who had wrested control of the prestigious Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) from Amin, will induct him into the party. A BJP leader said Amin might be accommodated as a
vice president of the GCA.
Stung by the Congress decision to deny him a ticket to contest the assembly polls, Amin had quit the party on Tuesday alongwith a handful of supporters. Though he was non-committal about joining the BJP, even his supporters are now set to join the saffron party.
“I have been working for the party for the last 25 years, but the party high command has not appreciated my hard work and loyalty,” Amin had told the media on Tuesday.
The Congress said its decision was based on its criteria of not fielding anyone who lost two consecutive polls in the state. Amin had lost the assembly polls in 1998, 2002 and 2007 from Sabarmati and Matar assembly segments.
The Congress, meanwhile, was quick to inform dissidents that it would not tolerate indiscipline or anyone found working against party interests.
The strong-arm tactics appears to have worked.
Ahmedabad city unit chief Pankaj Shah and municipal leader Badruddin Sheikh, who had criticised the party’s decision to deny ticket to Amin and others, said they would remain with the party.