What will top Shah’s agenda?

As the BJP president, Amit Shah, had campaigned with unusual vigour in the recent Lok Sabha election on issues that were contentious. These can generally be brought under the rubric of “nationalism”, which was the prime focus of the poll speeches of not only Mr Shah but also Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is to be seen if, as the country’s Home minister, Mr Shah will pursue those themes with the same intensity.

The scrapping of Article 370 of the Constitution, which gives special status to J&K, has been in the manifesto of the BJP for decades. The first Modi government did not push it beyond paying lip service, although the BJP had a majority of its own in the Lok Sabha. However, it also brought on the agenda Article 35-A of the Constitution, which confers special privileges on the “permanent residents” of the northern state.

If these two Articles are removed by the second Modi government, the political dynamics of Kashmir is likely to change for good, affecting internal security and the border question in respect of Pakistan. For that reason it is probable that the PM will need to take a call, although the Home minister’s putative steam-rolling personality may play a part.

In relation to Assam, the earlier Modi government had already pushed the National Register of Citizens to remove (Muslim) “foreigners”, with Mr Shah calling them “termites”. Local resistance was disregarded. Will Mr Shah seek to extend the NRC idea to West Bengal too? There could be greater political resistance there from Trinamul Congress. The fate of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill will also be closely watched. Taking on these “nationalism” issues will probably leave little time for other concerns.