Subhashis Mittra

For 40 years, Amit Shah has been Narendra Modi’s brain and brawn. Today, he is India’s second-most powerful person, entrusted with the task of heading the sensitive ministry of home affairs (MHA) for the second consecutive time.

In his first tenure, Shah ensured that key decisions taken by the Modi government were implemented without any hitch. His second term signals continuity. If he holds office for another year, the 59-year-old Shah is set to be the country’s longest-serving home minister. Congress’ Govind Ballabh Pant and BJP's LK Advani served as Union home ministers for a little over six years.

Shah, and Rajnath Singh, who handled the portfolio in Prime Minister (PM) Modi’s first term, have spent five years each in the North Block. Shah, who has been holding the key portfolio since 2019, has returned to the Modi 3.0 government in the same capacity. His tasks include internal security, border management, running armed police forces and keeping the lid on militancy in the troubled region of Kashmir—all ingredients with the potential to ignite or exacerbate communal tensions.

The Union home ministry will have to ensure smooth conduct of assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) this year. The promise to restore statehood in J&K after the polls rests on Shah, who would first like to focus on ensuring Pakistan’s proxy war does not disrupt peace. Soon after Prime Minister Modi assumed office for the third time on June 9, terrorists struck at four places in the Reasi, Kathua and Doda districts of J&K within four days, claiming the lives