With Modi wave, BJP breaks Gujarat record

Congress reduced to 17 seats, AAP expands its presence

GN Bureau | December 8, 2022


#Narendra Modi   #Elections   #Gujarat   #BJP   #Congress   #AAP  
Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel, state party unit president C. R. Paatil and other leaders at the state party office in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel, state party unit president C. R. Paatil and other leaders at the state party office in Ahmedabad on Thursday.

The BJP has been in power in Gujarat since 1998, and the state proved to be its springboard for the national sweep in 2014. Yet, it never came even close to the highest tally of 149 seats (out of the total 182) that the Congress had recorded in 1985. This time it has finally broken past the 150-mark, aided by an unusual and surprising Modi wave. This has reduced the Congress to a measly 17 seats (at the time of writing). The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has won only five seats, but given the context, it looks like an achievement. This will help it get the ‘national party’ tag too.

After the voting on December 1 and 5, in the counting Thursday, the BJP had won 147 seats and was leading on 9 by 7 p.m. Its vote share too finally crossed the half-way mark, at 52.5%. The Congress and AAP secured 27.3% and 12.9%, respectively, which is a new low for the former and a significant number for the latter.

After the low of only 99 seats in the 2017 assembly elections, the BJP took no chances and made all possible efforts to ensure a convincing victory this time. It changed the chief minister and the entire cabinet last year and deployed fresh candidates in order to overcome any anti-incumbency. Prime minister Narendra Modi and union home minister Amit Shah not only campaigned extensively from early on but also micro-managed the entire electioneering.

When the voting remained on the lower side – down to 64.33% after 68% in 2017 and 71% in 2012, analysts declared the elections were without any wave and there appeared no overriding issues to enthuse voters. The result, however, was beyond the party’s own claims and exit polls projections.

During campaign, many issues did crop up – from inflation and unemployment to alleged loopholes in governance, most recently exemplified by the Morbi bridge collapse tragedy. The overwhelming support for the BJP in general and for the PM in particular, is interpreted as the voters’ support for Modi’s work at the national level.

The party has indicated Bhupendra Patel will continue as the chief minister, and the new cabinet will take the oath of office on December 12.

For the Congress, it was a forgettable election. Its top leaders largely avoided campaigning in the state. The AAP, which first contested assembly elections in the state in 2017, was a looming factor. The vote share figures possibly indicate how much damage Kejriwal’s party has done to the grand old party.

The two, however, had their share of good news elsewhere. In the fiercely contested Municipal Corporation of Delhi elections, the AAP finally unseated the BJP on Wednesday, strengthening its grip on the capital. The Congress managed to unseat the BJP from the crucial state of Himachal Pradesh in Thursday’s results.
   
As 2022 ends, the BJP has delivered an exceptional performance in two critical states – Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. The coming year will see assembly contests in notable states, setting the stage for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
 
 

Comments

 

Other News

Cyber frauds helpline has helped save Rs 930 crore

Since its inception, Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System has witnessed more than 12.77 lakh complaints registered (till November 15, 2023), and has saved more than Rs. 930 crore in more than 3.80 lakh complaints. This was stated by minister of state for home affair

COP28 discusses climate resilient development in Himalayas

Impacts and implications of Climate Change Vulnerability in the Himalayan Region and ways of creating ‘Climate Resilient Development in Indian Himalayan Region by making mountain communities green and resilient were discussed the side event hosted at the India pavilion at the UN Climate Conference CO

Air Pollution: What needs to be done to tame the silent killer

Air pollution in Delhi has been in headlines, as every year in recent times. Mumbai too has suffered from air pollution, despite being a coastal city. Apart from many other metros such as Bangalore and Kolkata, tier-I and -II cities and rural areas also have high pollution levels. Every year reports and st

Free food grains for 81.35 cr beneficiaries for five years

The central government will provide free food grains to about 81.35 crore beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) for a period of five years with effect from January 1, 2024, the cabinet decided on Wednesday. Terming it as a “historic decision”, a

“I wrote ‘Survival at Stake’ to provide food for thought about solutions”

Survival at Stake: How Our Treatment of Animals Is Key to Human Existence By Poorva Joshipura HarperCollins, 328 pages, Rs 499 With science now recognising animal consciousness, intelligence, emotion, and even morality, there must rise an awareness of

‘Bon Voyage’ through the Arctic: Exploring new horizons for India

India`s tryst with trade through the Arctic regions, including the Northern Sea Routes (NSR), has become an impact-making endeavor recently. The Arctic of yore is now a pivot – point of geopolitics, of climate change discussions, and for economic opportunities; 40% of oil and gas reserves said to be

Visionary Talk: Amitabh Gupta, Pune Police Commissioner with Kailashnath Adhikari, MD, Governance Now


Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter