After Rajya Sabha win, Amit Shah says BJP will sweep Gujarat polls

Amit Shah reiterated his stand that the party will win 150 of 182 Assembly seats in the state

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah on Wednesday acknowledged that the party could not get enough votes as expected that led to Balwantsinh Rajput, the party's third candidate, losing the Rajya Sabha polls from Gujarat.

Shah, who on Wednesday resigned as legislator of the Gujarat Assembly, also challenged the Congress to a battle in the forthcoming Assembly polls.

In his last speech as Gujarat Assembly legislator, Shah also reiterated his stand that the party will win 150 of 182 Assembly seats in the state.

Shah submitted his resignation to Assembly Speaker Raman Vora at his residence, after he was elected to the Rajya Sabha along with Union Minister Smriti Irani. Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel won a tough electoral battle for the Upper House, defeating Rajput, a Congress turncoat who was made the third BJP candidate.

Shah also highlighted achievements of the Narendra Modi government and the party's over two-decade rule in Gujarat.

He was given a warm welcome along with Irani and Rajput at the state party headquarters Sri Kamalam.

"The 20-year rule in Gujarat would be dubbed as the golden period in history for development," Shah told the BJP gathering, and urged them to win 150 seats and bag all the Rajya Sabha seats in the future. "Be ready to work and ensure that we win three-fourths majority in the Assembly elections," he said.

State BJP spokesperson Bharat Pandya said that if rebel Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela wished to rejoin the BJP, the party would consider it.

Vaghela, while quitting the Congress last month, had said that he would not join any political party or create his own outfit.

In the Congress camp, all the 43 legislators who voted for Patel, held a meeting with the senior Congress leader and vowed to fight the forthcoming polls with more vigour.

"The victory in Rajya Sabha elections will go a big way to boost our morale. Ahmedbhai will play a crucial role," state party chief Bharatsinh Solanki said.

Patel said that all the legislators would visit Tirupati Balaji temple to seek blessings for the victory and take a vow to bag 125 seats in the forthcoming Assembly elections.