Just like his leader and mentor, Amit Shah has often spoken about righting "historical blunders" that began when India became independent in 1947.

Scrapping Kashmir's special status and introducing the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which allows non-Muslim religious minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan to seek Indian citizenship, were attempts to "right those wrongs".

The legislation attracted global condemnation - and came as instances of violence against Muslims, India's biggest religious minority with a population of more than 200 million, have been rising since 2014.

In 2019, human rights activists and the US State Department criticised Mr Shah for describing illegal Muslim immigrants as "termites" and threatening to "throw them into the Bay of Bengal". At election rallies, he routinely speaks of "us and them" - them being Muslims.

Some analysts see his language as strident campaigning, but Mr Oza believes they are deeply held personal beliefs.

"I really don't know why but I saw it the day I first met him. And till today, his anger, his prejudice, his dissatisfaction towards Muslims has been the same. His hatred and policy of non-acceptance remains the same and very firm and very rigid."

Mr Shah's office did not respond to our questions on this but his childhood friend Sudhir Darji disagrees. "He'll never say or do anything against Muslims. His aim is to take everyone forward, together."

Residents of Juhapura, Gujarat's biggest Muslim ghetto that falls in his constituency, however, told the BBC their MP had neglected them. We put this point to Mr Shah's office too, but did not hear back.