82% Vote Share, 3rd Stint at 37: Why Minister Harsh Sanghavi is BJP’s Rising Son in Gujarat

From a Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha activist to the youngest MLA from Majura in 2012 at the age of 27 and the Minister of State (Home), Harsh Sanghavi’s rise has been phenomenal. And the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) “political prodigy” proved why he deserved it yet again on Thursday – contesting for the third time in a row, he polled a high vote share of 82% from Majura, winning with a margin (1.16 lakh) in the 2022 Gujarat Assembly elections.

Sanghavi is one of the young leaders who has come up the ranks from the state chief of BJP Yuva Morcha in 2010. He worked in the national BJYM with Union Minister Anurag Thakur.

Party leaders believe that his work during the Covid pandemic, too, impressed the party high command.

FOLLOWING IN AMIT SHAH’s FOOTSTEPS

Belonging to a family of diamond merchants, Sanghavi chose public service at a young age. “Harsh Sanghavi entered the world of politics as a social worker at the young age of 15,” his Linkedin profile states.

As the Minister of State (Home), Sanghavi’s tenure has been remarkable, with the state’s law and order in top shape and no major communal incidents. While speaking to News18 before the elections, Sanghavi had cracked the whip on drug cartels and even bulldozed the homes of many of the accused.

His grip over the police machinery and focus on accountability led to the inevitable comparison with his illustrious predecessor Amit Shah.

Sanghavi performance hasn’t gone unnoticed. Sanghavi is considered close to the central leadership of the BJP and is understood to be backed by Shah. The central leadership is expected to back him for more responsibility in the soon-to-be sworn-in government.

The ‘GenNext’ leader of the party was instrumental in organising 36th National Games as the State Sports Minister.

THE PEOPLE CONNECT

Apart from the administrative duties, Sanghavi has also maintained his connect with voters, which has ensured his return as an MLA with an 82% vote share. His massive support from the voters also comes from the special cell dedicated to addressing the grievances of citizens.

“The Minister has deployed additional staff which keeps track of any grievances of people seeking help. Each complaint is tracked and timely redress is ensured,” sources said.

The BJP leader had also worked among tribals on Sickle-cell disease. ​

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