Amit Shah to Launch BJP's Gujarat Election Campaign With 'Biggest Ever' Townhall

New Delhi: BJP national president Amit Shah will kickstart the party's election campaign for Gujarat assembly polls by addressing what is being touted as the ‘biggest ever’ townhall in the country in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

'Adikhan Gujarat' or Resolute Gujarat will the theme around which the entire program has been knit where Shah will be fielding questions from young participants from the state.

BJP has already launched a massive publicity drive ahead of the function, with the party releasing a jingle and an eight-minute video chronicling Gujarat's development under BJP rule.

Quota agitation launched by Patidars has been the biggest political challenge BJP has faced in the last two decades it has been in power in the state. The community, at the core of BJP's social coalition in Gujarat, had been seeking reservations in jobs and education. The agitation was led mostly by the youth within the community.

Since then, party has made a concerted effort to reach out to a large section of the young voters in the state and Shah's town hall is being seen as a part of that larger campaign.

While 22 thousand people have already enrolled to participate in the program, the figure may touch one lakh by Sunday.

"This is part of the larger strategy to connect with youth and engage with them. Amitji is also closely associated with sports and as Gujarat Cricket Association chief he had earlier organised a statewide cricket tournament," a senior BJP leader said.

The coming week, party also plans to roll out 80 Narmada Raths. The water level in the Narmada Dam is expected to touch its maximum height next week. The chariots will ply across the state to commemorate the occasion, for which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also be travelling to Gujarat.

A slew of other events are also planned for next week before Election Commission announces poll dates and model code of conduct comes into effect.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will visit Sabarmati riverfront accompanied by Modi next Thursday. The two leaders are also slated to lay the foundation stone for the proposed Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will be in Ahmedabad early next week to hold a workshop for BJP spokespersons and social media teams.