Gandhinagar (Gujarat): On Friday, Amit Shah, the Union Home Minister, officially lodged his nomination for the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat, representing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He emphasized the upcoming general election’s importance in securing a third term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Shah, flanked by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, submitted his candidacy papers to Gandhinagar collector and district election officer M K Dave in the state’s capital city at exactly 12:39 pm, which was deemed the auspicious ‘Vijay Muhurat’.

In a conversation with the media, Shah highlighted the election’s focus on granting PM Modi a third term to transform India into a developed nation by 2047.

He mentioned that Modi’s third term would be pivotal, as his previous two terms were largely dedicated to rectifying the errors of the prior Congress-led UPA administration.

“This election revolves around ensuring Narendra Modi’s third term as Prime Minister. His commitment to steering India towards being a developed country by 2047 and excelling in all fields necessitates his continued leadership. The next five years are critical, given the previous decade was spent addressing issues left by the preceding UPA government,” Shah explained.

He stressed the necessity of using the next five years to lay the groundwork for a strong and prosperous India. Expressing gratitude for being nominated again, Shah noted the significance of representing a seat formerly held by prominent figures Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani. He added that Prime Minister Modi is a registered voter in the region.

“I have been engaged with this constituency for three decades. Before becoming an MP, I served as an MLA for areas within this seat. I am grateful for the support from the people of Gandhinagar, who have embraced me from a grassroots-level worker to a parliamentarian,” he said.

Shah highlighted the extensive development projects totaling over Rs 22,000 crore in the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat over the past five years. He previously secured victory in the 2019 general elections for the Gandhinagar constituency with a lead of over 5 lakh votes.

The opposing Congress party has nominated Sonal Patel from Gandhinagar. Voting across all 26 Lok Sabha constituencies in Gujarat is set for the third phase on May 7.

On Thursday, Shah conducted a series of three roadshows spanning approximately 20 km in Gandhinagar, drawing enthusiastic crowds. These events covered areas within the Sanand, Kalol, Sabarmati, Ghatlodia, Naranpura, and Vejalpur assembly segments of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar districts, all part of the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat.

Shah concluded his final roadshow in Ahmedabad with an address to a large audience in the Vejalpur region, urging voters to secure a BJP victory.