AHMEDABAD: Union Home Minister Amit Shah formally entered the electoral arena by filing his nomination papers for the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency on Friday, representing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He expressed his pride in contesting from a seat previously held by BJP stalwarts such as LK Advani and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He emphasized his journey from a grassroots party worker to a member of Parliament.
"Today, I have officially filed my nomination from the Gandhinagar constituency. It fills me with immense pride to contest from a seat previously held by luminaries like LK Advani and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, with Narendra Modi himself being a voter here," said Shah, speaking to the media after submitting his nomination.
"I've had the privilege to serve from this constituency for three decades, both as an MLA and MP, dedicating myself to public welfare. The unwavering support and affection from the people of Gandhinagar have been my driving force. From a humble booth worker, I have ascended to the halls of Parliament," he said.
"Under the leadership of Modi, first as Chief Minister and later as Prime Minister, the BJP government has undertaken extensive development initiatives. Over five years, projects exceeding Rs 22,000 crores have been implemented in the Gandhinagar region. I'm immensely gratified by the unwavering support and overwhelming blessings of the people every time I've sought their votes. Their resounding endorsement has consistently led to my victory with significant margins," he added.
Meanwhile, Chandrakant Raghunath Patil, popularly referred to as CR Patil, the BJP candidate for the Navsari Lok Sabha constituency, submitted his nomination papers on Friday. It's worth mentioning that Patil could not file his nomination on April 18 at an "auspicious" time due to the overwhelming turnout of supporters during his morning roadshow.