BJP will break all records in upcoming Gujarat polls: Amit Shah

Ahmedabad: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday exuded confidence that the ruling BJP will break all previous records in the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections and once again form government in the state by bagging the highest number of seats and votes.

Shah accompanied the Sanand Assembly seat's BJP candidate Kanubhai Patel when he went to submit his nomination papers to the election officials.

Patel, who hails from the Koli community, is the sitting MLA from Sanand which falls under Shah's Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat.

"The Gujarat BJP will break all previous records in this Assembly election. We all are confident that the BJP will once again form the government here with a huge majority by winning the highest-ever seats as well as getting the highest-ever votes," Shah said.

"Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gujarat's Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has undertaken many developmental works in the state. Law and order has been strengthened and he (the CM) has also given pace to the economy and improved health, education and various other sectors," he said.

Shah said Bhupendra Patel took forward a model developed by Modi when he was the Gujarat CM, for the overall development of Dalits, tribals and the Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

Elections for the 182-member Gujarat Assembly will be held in two phases on December 1 and 5. Voting will be held in 89 seats in the first phase and in 93 seats, including Sanand, in the second phase.

The last date to file nominations for second phase is November 17.

After the BJP re-nominated sitting MLA Kanubhai Patel, local party leader and Sanand APMC chairman Khengar Patel, who was expecting a ticket, had announced to fight as an independent against the legislator.

But Khengar Patel dropped his plans after meeting Shah and also accompanied the MLA during his nomination form submission.

Shah said, "Though APMC chairman Khengarbhai had earlier announced to fill the form (to fight the polls), we are glad he respected the BJP's appeal and dropped his plans. He has extended support to Kanubhai. I am confident that the BJP will win this seat with an even higher margin than the previous poll."