NEW DELHI: On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished Home Minister Amit Shah a happy 59th birthday and praised his services to the government and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. “He (Shah) is passionate about India’s progress and ensuring a better quality of life for the poor,” Modi wrote in a post on X. He has established himself as an exceptional administrator, significantly strengthening India’s security structure and advancing the cooperative sector.” He praised Shah’s contribution to fortifying the BJP and expressed his desire for “a long life and wonderful health.” He received birthday wishes from other prominent BJP figures as well, such as Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari.J P Nadda, the president of the BJP, lauded Shah’s extraordinary commitment to the country, his genuineness, and his organisational prowess, calling it an inspiration for party members. Shah, the minister of cooperation and a close friend of the prime minister, has been instrumental in the BJP’s ascent under Modi’s direction. After being appointed as the BJP’s national president in 2014, he oversaw the party’s expansion on a national level and helped it gain significant electoral traction in a number of states, which helped it win a larger majority when it returned to power at the centre in 2019. As a Cabinet minister in the second Modi government, Shah played a key role in the ruling party delivering on its core promise to repeal Article 370, which granted Jammu and Kashmir unique powers. The party’s political and electoral strategy still heavily relies on the home minister.
