Trusted by PM, Amit Shah steers key decisions in party and government

As the Narendra Modi government marked one year of its third consecutive term last week, it is increasingly clear that Amit Shah has become its most pivotal figure after the Prime Minister himself.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

While holding the crucial Home portfolio—along with the Ministry of Cooperation—Shah's role now cuts across ministries, institutions, and the party organisation, shaping appointments, vetting policies, and managing internal alignments with authority.

Multiple senior-level appointments including gubernatorial ones are cleared only after receiving his nod. Legislative selections, reshuffles in the national and state units, and the coordination of politically significant arms of the government—including those related to tribal, border, and internal affairs—have similarly been routed through Shah's office. Senior bureaucrats confirm that no major policy decision with long-term national security implications moves forward without his explicit go-ahead.

His position has not been secured by proximity to the Prime Minister alone, but by performance.