BJP is set for a historic victory in Gujarat, winning an all-time high seat count of 150+ with a vote share of 52.9 percent, as per data by the Election Commission of India. In early trends, the BJP has already crossed its highest-ever mark of 126 seats and surging ahead towards the 150 mark in leads out of total 182 seats in Gujarat In 2002 Gujarat elections, BJP won 127 seats under the leadership of then Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
Source- Hindustan Times
While the AAP has made considerable gains in the Patidar and tribal seats, it was the worst show by the Congress this time, failing to capitalize on the gains it had made in the 2017 polls The party led in 5 seats in its debut election there. If the trends get reflected in the actual results, it would be a big win for the AAP as Gujarat is a fertile field to grow as an alternative, with the Congress failing to excite the voters any longer.
The leads from Gujarat also suggest that the AAP is gaining from the Congress’s failures, and splitting its support base — even though it is still not able to win the hearts of the minorities and tribals entirely. These two communities remain outliers in the general wave of support to the ruling BJP.
PM Modi campaigned heavily for the BJP in the run-up to the polls. The party relied on his larger-than-life image, making this a ‘Modi vs the rest’ contest. The prime minister also went on an extensive door-to-door campaign in the state before each phase of polling. He also conducted a massive roadshow in Ahmedabad on 1 December.
Source- Times Of India
This is the first election in the state after the COVID-19 outbreak. The mismanagement of the pandemic became a major talking point in Gujarat as reports suggested massive undercounting of deaths by the government.
Since the BJP has been in power in the state for 27 years, data indicates that more BJP loyalists turned out to vote which might have benefited the saffron party. The saffron party had an edge over its competitors Congress and AAP as far as their organizational strength is concerned. The party successfully contained the discontent amongst its ranks after releasing the first two lists of candidates in November.
Bhupendra Patel will be sworn in for a second term as Chief Minister of Gujarat on December 12, the party announced Thursday. The oath-taking ceremony will take place at 2 pm on Monday in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, state BJP president C R Paatil said.
