Hope Amit Shah will play big role in government: Parkash Singh Badal

AHMEDABAD: BJP president Amit Shah on Saturday submitted his nomination for the

Lok Sabha polls

from Gandhinagar. Top NDA leaders were present at a road show to mark the occasion. "I pray to almighty that Modi will be PM again and Amit Shah will take a huge responsibility in the government," former Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal said.


Sena chief Udhav Thackeray said: "Amitbhai, we have pledged that we will work together. You take the lead, we will walk together with you".

Coming from a partner who would regularly direct a stream of sneers and jeers at Shah, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thakeray's affection for Shah may have appeared a case of sentimentalism, but it also marked his acquiescence to the idea of the BJP president being the number 2 in NDA affairs.

Complete coverage: Lok Sabha elections

LJP chief and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan spoke in the same vein. "He (Shah) travels village to village and booth to booth and never sleeps. Modi and Shah had envisioned 'Congress-mukt' Bharat and Congress is nowhere in fight. I reiterate there is no vacancy in 2019 for the PM post and opposition should start planning about 2024," Paswan said.

It also turned out to be an opportunity for BJP to showcase its success in closing NDA's ranks, notwithstanding the absence of any senior leader of JD(U), before polls, with Udhav being the star of the support cast. From a sulking ally, he smoothly segued into the role of a loyal ally to taunt opposition for not able to project their PM candidate. "Narendra Modi is the leader of our alliance but the opposition remains leaderless and they have no answers to who will be their PM candidate," Udhav said to applause from the huge crowd.