BJP workers carry a cut-out of PM Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah as they celebrate the party's victory in UP and Uttarakhand assembly polls. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: The man of the hour in the BJP besides Prime Minister Narendra Modi is party president Amit Shah. Architech of BJP’s historic win in UP during the Lok Sabha elections, Mr Shah has emerged as the most successful president of the BJP so far.

After poll results, he credited Mr Modi’s pro-poor policies for the party’s stupendous performance in the Assembly elections, including in Uttar Pradesh where it got over two-thirds majority.

After winning states like Assam, Haryana and Maharashtra, Mr Shah had been meticulously strategising for his party to end its political “vanvaas” in UP, which sends the highest number of members to Parliament. From caste calculation to fine-tuning caste arithmetic, Mr Shah also made sure that neither factionalism nor dissension hurt party’s poll prospects. It was one of the reasons that the BJP did not project a chief ministerial candidate in both UP and Uttarakhand.

Reaching out to non-Jatav Dalits and non-Yadav OBCs, Mr Shah’s strategy also included tapping the youth and women voters. BJP workers and cadres were asked to visit regularly to each and every house, with the Modi government’s achievements, its impact, and also to make sure that every legal voter comes out an vote. RSS leadership was also actively involved in this entire exercise.  

Mr Shah, sources said, himself, held meetings with party rebels to pacify them and had asked state leadership to engage as many leaders in election related activities so that they do not feel left out.

To a question on Ram mandir on Saturday, he said “You should refer to our ‘sankalp patra’ (manifesto).” The BJP has said that it wants a temple under the constitutional provisions with either a court verdict or a dialogue. Asked whether the party will keep UP’s complex caste equation in mind when it decides its CM, he said merit will be the sole criteria.