Too many challenges are in store for Amit Shah as he is set to head the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the next three years.
While the poll results of Delhi and Bihar still haunt the BJP, upcoming Assembly elections in the four states and one Union Territory will be a major challenge. Barring Assam, the BJP doesn’t seem to have much of a chance in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala or Puducherry.
Shah was the natural choice for the party’s top post in May 2014 following emphatic victory in the Lok Sabha elections and he became the party president when Rajnath Singh abdicated the post to join the Cabinet.
While the honeymoon period in power continued through the 2014 from Jharkhand to Maharashtra and Jammu & Kashmir to Haryana, it was a massive drubbing for the party at the hands of Aam Aadmi Party when BJP got only three seats out of 80 in Delhi Assembly.
A few months later Shah and his team had to face another embarrassment as the party lost the crucial Bihar Assembly polls where many Union ministers were given responsibilities.
This also had its impact in the Parliament as an emboldened Opposition got together and struck back.
Now, as Shah has formally been in New Delhi elected his biggest challenge would be to get back to winning ways. The crucial test of Shah would be 2017 UP Assembly polls
Moreover, there is rising discontent among party ranks in some of the states which are set to face political battle. Party insiders said that it would be an enormous challenge to win the polls while strengthening the party for the upcoming battles. Amit Shah led the BJP to victory in Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Haryana Assembly polls. Quelling the rebellions will be another task as the party has seen many such instances particularly those following the Bihar polls results. Party sources said that in the coming time, the party might take some stringent action to send strong message in the cadre.
The BJP has not selected any face for the state unit president in Uttar Pradesh. Moreover, projecting a face for the chief ministerial post in UP will be a tough decision for Shah as a lot will depend upon this decision. The party went without any face in Bihar and decided on a name for Delhi polls in hurry and results were humiliating in both the cases.
Moreover, carrying forward the message of good governance and development agenda of the Modi government to the common voters will be another challenge for Shah as the next two years will be full with state polls.