Gujarat polls: BJP gives ticket to controversial Amit Shah

Controversial former Gujarat home minister Amit Shah is expected to contest in the upcoming assembly polls in the state as the BJP parliamentary board has decided to give ticket to him.

Controversial former Gujarat home minister Amit Shah is expected to contest in the upcoming assembly polls in the state as the BJP parliamentary board has decided to give ticket to him, according to reports.

It is a surprise decision by the BJP parliamentary board as Shah is one of the accused in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh and Tulsi Prajapati alleged fake encounter cases and is out on bail. Amit Shah will contest from Naranpura in Ahmedabad.

Last month, in a quick U-turn from his statement that he would contest the upcoming assembly polls Shah had said his statement was misconstrued by media.
"It is for the party (BJP) to decide whether to give me ticket or not," Shah said.

Shah had told reporters on the sidelines of a press meet in October that "I will not only be contesting the elections, but I am going to win this time also with comfortable margins."

"Last time, I had won from Sarkhej Assembly seat with the margin of over 2.50 lakh votes. Now, after the delimitation, it has been divided into three constituencies-Vejalpur, Ghatlodia and Naranpura. I can win from any of these with comfortable margins," he said.

The Supreme Court had earlier allowed Shah to return to Gujarat after rejecting CBI's plea to cancel the bail granted to him in Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case.

Since his return, Shah had been keeping a low profile and stayed away from public functions as well as media.