Shah was born in 1964 in Mumbai. He was involved with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in his early days. He served as the Home Minister under the BJP government in Gujarat, which was helmed by Modi, who was the Chief Minister of the state at that time. Referred to as 'Chanakya' of modern-day politics for his organisational abilities, Shah brings with him a vast experience in the political arena.
Since his appointment as BJP president in 2014, Shah has been instrumental in leading the party to electoral victories in many states, particularly in the North-East. He was party in-charge of Uttar Pradesh in 2014 and helped BJP and its allies win 73 out of 80 seats in the general elections. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Shah also managed BJP's election campaign and rigorously campaigned at the same time, which lead the party winning 303 seats. Hence, BJP became the first party in India, since 1971, to return with a full majority.
Shah is a first-time Lok Sabha MP from Gandhinagar and was inducted into the cabinet under the second tenure of the Modi government. He was given the charge of Home Affairs. During the Parliament's monsoon session in July-August, Shah played a key role in passing a bill aimed at bifurcating Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories and a provision that abrogated Article 370 that gave special powers to the former state.
Countering the criticism from the opposition parties over the Article 370 move, Shah, known to be an outspoken and a smart leader, had said that the decision was done in a bid to give a fillip to development in the region which was ravaged by terrorism in the last few decades.
(with inputs from ANI)