Amit Shah elected president of Gujarat Cricket Association

The post had been left vacant after the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s close aide and BJP national general secretary Amit Shah was on Friday elected unanimously as the president of the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA). Modi had stepped down as GCA chief after he became the Prime Minister.

“(Amit) Shah has been unanimously elected the president of GCA at a extraordinary meeting of the members held today at Motera stadium in Ahmedabad,” said GCA secretary Rajesh Patel. Shah was serving as vice president of GCA while Modi was president.

In 2009, Modi, then the chief minister of Gujarat, had taken over the reigns of GCA defeating Congress leader Narhari Amin, who later joined the BJP in 2012. Modi’s victory in the GCA election was significant as it marked end of a decade-long hold of the Congress over the cash-rich cricket association.

Shah, former minister of state for home in Gujarat was elected vice president of GCA in the same year. Shah had played a crucial role as BJP in-charge of Uttar Pradesh during the recent Lok Sabha elections where his party won 71 out of 80 parliamentary seats.