Home Minister Amit Shah has filed his nomination papers from Gandhinagar for the upcoming 18th Lok Sabha polls in the presence of Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. Shah filed his nomination at the Gandhinagar collector’s office precisely at 12:39 pm, deemed as the auspicious ‘Vijay Muhurat’.
Expressing pride, Shah remarked, “I have filed my nomination from the Gandhinagar seat. It’s an honor to contest from a constituency previously represented by stalwarts like LK Advani, Atal ji, and where Narendra Modi himself is a voter. I’ve served as MLA and MP from here for 30 years, receiving immense love from the people.”
In the previous Lok Sabha elections, Shah secured victory from the Gandhinagar constituency with a substantial margin of 5.57 lakh votes over his closest Congress rival, C J Chavda. The seat encompasses seven assembly segments, all currently held by the BJP.
Facing opposition from Congress’s Sonal Patel, Shah’s bid for re-election coincides with the broader electoral process, with voting for all 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat scheduled for May 7. The ongoing 2024 Lok Sabha polls commenced today, covering 102 seats across 21 states and Union territories, marking the beginning of the extensive electoral journey as Prime Minister Narendra Modi vies for a rare third term. With over 16.63 crore eligible voters casting their ballots today, India braces for a significant electoral exercise, with the BJP aiming to expand its influence beyond strongholds while the opposition INDIA bloc faces a formidable challenge to disrupt the BJP-led NDA’s dominance.