Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, and state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Jagdish Vishwakarma on Tuesday called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah at his Ahmedabad residence to exchange Gujarati New Year greetings on the occasion of Bestu Varas. The festive visits came as Shah marked the new year at home, receiving a stream of BJP leaders, party workers, and well-wishers.

What the Leaders Said

Chief Minister Patel conveyed his greetings to Shah, describing him as the 'popular Member of Parliament' from Gandhinagar. In a post on social media platform X, Patel said: 'Met the popular MP from Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency and Union Home and Cooperation Minister, respected Amit Shah, and conveyed my heartfelt New Year wishes to him.' He added that Shah's continued guidance would 'always provide fresh energy to the state's development journey.'

Deputy Chief Minister Sanghavi described his visit as a courtesy call. 'I paid a courtesy visit to the Union Minister, wished him Saal Mubarak and received his blessings,' he said. BJP state president Vishwakarma also exchanged New Year greetings with the Home Minister during a separate meeting at the residence.

Shah's Wider Gujarat Visit

The Bestu Varas greetings were part of a broader visit by Shah to Gujarat for Diwali and the Gujarati New Year. Shah also extended his own wishes to people across the state, praying for 'happiness, peace, prosperity and joy' in their lives and invoking the blessings of Goddess Lakshmi for every family.

On Monday, Shah inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for around 30 development projects worth approximately ₹1,400 crore in Ahmedabad, spanning civic infrastructure, housing, education, water management, and road connectivity. A flagship project among those inaugurated was a 4-km elevated corridor linking Iskcon Crossroads to Sanand Chowkdi on the Sarkhej-Gandhinagar Highway.

Law and Order Review

Separately, Shah chaired a high-level review meeting on Gujarat's law and order and internal security situation, attended by Chief Minister Patel, Deputy Chief Minister Sanghavi, and senior state government officials. The meeting covered the state's ongoing drought situation, farmers' concerns, economic offences, and security in border districts — a broad agenda that underscored the visit's dual character: festive and administrative.

Significance of Bestu Varas

Bestu Varas, the Gujarati New Year, falls the day after Diwali and is widely observed across Gujarat and in Gujarati communities worldwide. The occasion traditionally involves visits to elders and community leaders to exchange 'Saal Mubarak' — the Gujarati and Urdu expression for new year greetings. The public gathering at Shah's residence reflects his continued political centrality in his home state ahead of ongoing civic and development initiatives. The next phase of the ₹1,400 crore project rollout in Ahmedabad is expected to progress over the coming months.