After RS setback, Amit Shah sets 150-seat target for BJP in Gujarat polls

Mission 150 would ensure that BJP wins 3 Rajya Sabha seats in Gujarat next time: Amit Shah

BJP chief Amit Shah on Thursday asked the party workers to work towards achieving the target of winning 150 of the total 182 seats in Gujarat in the upcoming Assembly polls.

He said "Mission 150" would ensure that the BJP wins three Rajya Sabha seats in the state next time.

Election to the three Rajya Sabha seats in Gujarat were held yesterday. While Shah and Union minister Smriti Irani were elected to the Upper House of Parliament, party candidate Balwantsinh Rajpur was defeated by Congress veteran Ahmed Patel.

Shah, who resigned as the state MLA today, told the cadres that the magic number of 150 achieved in the upcoming elections would make it possible for the BJP to win the Rajya Sabha seats, irrespective of the number of votes a candidate gets.

He was speaking at the felicitation function organised at the party's state headquarters at Kamalam here.

Irani and Rajput were also felicitated on the occasion. Shah and Irani have made their maiden entry into the upper house.

"Today, the assembly secretary was explaining to me that Balwantsinh was defeated by around 0.40 votes, and could have won, had he got that many votes. But if we get 150 seats (in the upcoming state election), all our three candidates will win," Shah said.

He exhorted the party workers to achieve the party's "Mission 150" and begin preparation for the same.

"Mission 150 will be achieved in December (when the polls are likely to be held)...The kind of development works that the BJP has done in Gujarat, people will support us in December. The way BJP has been supported by the people in the state, our organisation is invincible," he said.

Earlier in the day, Shah resigned as the MLA of Naranpura assembly seat in Ahmedabad, after being elected as the party's Rajya Sabha member from Gujarat.

Shah tendered his resignation to Gujarat Assembly Speaker Ramanlal Vora, where he made an hour-long farewell speech.

In his speech, Shah continued his attack on the opposition Congress stating that the party's leadership was responsible for the crisis it faced.

Shah also expressed confidence that the BJP would achieve its mission 150 target on the basis of the "development works" done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who served as state chief minister for 13 years.

"The 20 years that I served as MLA, were the golden years for the BJP and the state," he said.

"In no other states we have found the ideals of development established in Gujarat. Narendrabhai (Modi) took development everywhere (during his tenure as CM), which is why the country gave him such a huge majority," he said.