The recent verdict in Gujarat has confirmed that durability of Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) in Gujarat is profoundly shaped by the identification of most of the voters with Narendra Modi. Despite all odds, voting for Narendra Modi was seen as a &lsquo;symbolic crusade&rsquo;, that is, as an attempt to reinforce the majoritarian Hindu-cum-Gujarati identity. In fact, their loyalties with him mattered a great deal than their preference for BJP. It is both a welcome sign and a warning for BJP. Welcoming in the sense that BJP has been able to ensure victories using the charisma of Mr. Modi. But the repetitive use of his charisma will exhaust the electorates if the party consistently fails to deliver its herculean promises. BJP has to find an answer for the consequences of Mr. Modi&rsquo;s &lsquo;future absence&rsquo; in the electoral campaigns. In other words, BJP has to answer, &lsquo;after Modi who&rsquo;.

Things are now changing. It is clearly evident that a substantial number of voters in Gujarat are no longer willing to identify with the BJP&rsquo;s style of governance. The voters have given clear signals that if they are not treated fairly on the front of governance and inclusive economic growth, they may shift the balance quickly and dramatically. They have already turned the BJP&rsquo;s &lsquo;Congress-mukt Gujarat&rsquo; slogan, a superficial model of the campaign. It can be seen in the emergent competitiveness of the Congress Party with 80 Assembly seats.

Why did voters prefer BJP to rule Gujarat despite their disillusionment with most of its policies including GST, demonetisation and digitalisation? It was always clear that BJP is most likely to get the majority and will form the government in Gujarat. Gaining a thumping majority or thin majority was merely the question of arithmetic. The certainty of BJP&rsquo;s win in Gujarat had many reasons. First, Gujarat while being an experimental laboratory for hardcore Hindutva has kicked out the exclusive notion of Hinduism long back. The harmonisation of business with Hinduism gave birth to corporate Hindutva or Majoritarianism. So the laboratory was still active in ranks and files with some normal dissensions. Thus, the much acclaimed substantive dealignment of voters from BJP was a loud noise only.

Second, we must remember that Narendra Modi is the product of half a century Manthan of this corporate Hindutva and also a face of Gujarat. It is assumed that as long as he is strong, Gujrat is on a strong pedestal too on every aspect of preferences. The smart business societies of Gujratis knew that very well. If he loses they also lose. Third, undoubtedly, there were discontents among Gujaratis but it was largely treated as family affairs.

BJP was a success in perpetuating the belief that the outsiders cannot take any benefits out of it. The message was loud and clear on the grassroots that Narendra Modi is there to take care of their grievances and if he cannot solve then others also cannot solve it. Fourth, Gujarat was not ready to trade Hindutva for some economic and political failures. BJP and its affiliated wings were clear that if that happens the whole Hindutva edifice may get weakened. Fifth, the grassroots management of cadres by RSS, VHP and other right-wing organisations was unprecedented. They worked tirelessly for their adopted Hindutva like a war against the infidels as the hardened Muslim fundamentalists think.

Sixth, there were many angry voters but they belong to Adivasis, Dalits and minorities. To be precise, they alone cannot mar the prospects of BJP due to their irrelevance in the larger scheme of things of electoral politics.

Seventh, Narendra Modi has played all cards correctly as far as pleading the voters of Gujarat is concerned. They cannot find a person better than him to represent their cause. It&#39;s too far-fetched for the Gujaratis to dump him. It would tantamount to dumping their own legacy. The message was circulated like a viral that Mr. Modi is in centre and he can give more than what the Congress can offer to Gujrat. Why would any Gujrati who are so shrewd businessmen make such uncalculated decision to vote out BJP? Lastly, BJP and its affiliates have already done wonders in spiritualising the women in particular. It has affected the voting preferences of women. Interesting, the collective identity of OBCs, Dalits, Adivasis and even Patidars have been turned patriarchal and masculine as a sizable number of their women have shown a pattern called Trans-patriarchal voting that too in favour of BJP.

To sum, the edifice of Corporate Hindutva might have been crumbled if the popular narratives of Alpesh Thakur, Jignesh Mewani and Hardik Patel would have been a success in attracting sections of the voters beyond their own castes.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The smart business societies of Gujratis knew very well that as long as Modi is strong, Gujarat is on a strong pedestal too on every aspect of preferences.

The recent verdict in Gujarat has confirmed that durability of Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) in Gujarat is profoundly shaped by the identification of most of the voters with Narendra Modi. Despite all odds, voting for Narendra Modi was seen as a ‘symbolic crusade’, that is, as an attempt to reinforce the majoritarian Hindu-cum-Gujarati identity. In fact, their loyalties with him mattered a great deal than their preference for BJP. It is both a welcome sign and a warning for BJP. Welcoming in the sense that BJP has been able to ensure victories using the charisma of Mr. Modi. But the repetitive use of his charisma will exhaust the electorates if the party consistently fails to deliver its herculean promises. BJP has to find an answer for the consequences of Mr. Modi’s ‘future absence’ in the electoral campaigns. In other words, BJP has to answer, ‘after Modi who’. Things are now changing. It is clearly evident that a substantial number of voters in Gujarat are no longer willing to identify with the BJP’s style of governance. The voters have given clear signals that if they are not treated fairly on the front of governance and inclusive economic growth, they may shift the balance quickly and dramatically. They have already turned the BJP’s ‘Congress-mukt Gujarat’ slogan, a superficial model of the campaign. It can be seen in the emergent competitiveness of the Congress Party with 80 Assembly seats. Why did voters prefer BJP to rule Gujarat despite their disillusionment with most of its policies including GST, demonetisation and digitalisation? It was always clear that BJP is most likely to get the majority and will form the government in Gujarat. Gaining a thumping majority or thin majority was merely the question of arithmetic. The certainty of BJP’s win in Gujarat had many reasons. First, Gujarat while being an experimental laboratory for hardcore Hindutva has kicked out the exclusive notion of Hinduism long back. The harmonisation of business with Hinduism gave birth to corporate Hindutva or Majoritarianism. So the laboratory was still active in ranks and files with some normal dissensions. Thus, the much acclaimed substantive dealignment of voters from BJP was a loud noise only. Second, we must remember that Narendra Modi is the product of half a century Manthan of this corporate Hindutva and also a face of Gujarat. It is assumed that as long as he is strong, Gujrat is on a strong pedestal too on every aspect of preferences. The smart business societies of Gujratis knew that very well. If he loses they also lose. Third, undoubtedly, there were discontents among Gujaratis but it was largely treated as family affairs. BJP was a success in perpetuating the belief that the outsiders cannot take any benefits out of it. The message was loud and clear on the grassroots that Narendra Modi is there to take care of their grievances and if he cannot solve then others also cannot solve it. Fourth, Gujarat was not ready to trade Hindutva for some economic and political failures. BJP and its affiliated wings were clear that if that happens the whole Hindutva edifice may get weakened. Fifth, the grassroots management of cadres by RSS, VHP and other right-wing organisations was unprecedented. They worked tirelessly for their adopted Hindutva like a war against the infidels as the hardened Muslim fundamentalists think. Sixth, there were many angry voters but they belong to Adivasis, Dalits and minorities. To be precise, they alone cannot mar the prospects of BJP due to their irrelevance in the larger scheme of things of electoral politics. Seventh, Narendra Modi has played all cards correctly as far as pleading the voters of Gujarat is concerned. They cannot find a person better than him to represent their cause. It's too far-fetched for the Gujaratis to dump him. It would tantamount to dumping their own legacy. The message was circulated like a viral that Mr. Modi is in centre and he can give more than what the Congress can offer to Gujrat. Why would any Gujrati who are so shrewd businessmen make such uncalculated decision to vote out BJP? Lastly, BJP and its affiliates have already done wonders in spiritualising the women in particular. It has affected the voting preferences of women. Interesting, the collective identity of OBCs, Dalits, Adivasis and even Patidars have been turned patriarchal and masculine as a sizable number of their women have shown a pattern called Trans-patriarchal voting that too in favour of BJP. To sum, the edifice of Corporate Hindutva might have been crumbled if the popular narratives of Alpesh Thakur, Jignesh Mewani and Hardik Patel would have been a success in attracting sections of the voters beyond their own castes. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Modi serves Gujarat's business interest the best

A day after being coronated president, Rahul Gandhi&#39;s political star seems to be on the rise. The political landscape could just be changing under Modi&#39;s nose, quite literally because this is Gujarat we are talking about.

Rahul, like Sonia in 2004, could be on a comeback track as BJP&#39;s big gamble - GST and demonetisation - begin to hurt at the hustings. In a campaign which saw mudslinging from both sides, PM Modi led from the front&nbsp;sparing no one from former PM Manmohan Singh downwards to the controversial chaiwala remark allegedly made by Congress leader Manishankar Aiyar.

Rahul&#39;s &#39;gamble&#39; of tieing up with Hardik Patel&#39;s PAAS, Congress shrewdly cut the votes of BJP in a two-pronged strategy. The support given to Independent candidates along with PAAS supporters titled the scale in favour of the Congress. The grand old party was not expected to perform well, some experts felt it had lost control of the ground realities in the state, combined with the high-voltage campaign led by PM Modi.

The vote share in the Gujarat elections reveal the mind of the voters, the ruling BJP has won 49.1% of the votes, with Congress(41.5%) and Independents(4.3%) cornering over 45 per cent vote share. The BJP will view this with concern and dread, if Gujarat is seen as a &quot;template&quot; then life for the BJP could get tougher in the next state polls with the Congress realigning its strategy to tie-up with parties who have local and regional flavour.

In this sense, Rahul is following the &#39;&#39;2004 model&#39;&#39; when his mother Sonia Gandhi pitched-in with a coalition to take on the BJP juggernaut ultimately leading to the fall of PM Atal Bihari-led NDA.

In 2017, however, it is an altogether different political landscape which is ruled by PM Modi. With the Congress on a long losing streak in state polls ever since the BJP dislodged it from power in 2014, Gujarat polls could be a turning point both for the Congress and Rahul.

The Congress may still bring the BJP down the below 100-seat level, either way, Rahul&#39;s party is set to surpass all expectations as they had won just 43 seats in the last assembly polls in 2012. Congress winning over 70 seats would be a major boost for India&#39;s main opposition party which currently has just 44 MPs in the Lok Sabha. It will also drastically change the poll arithmetic in the Rajya Sabha in the future and will give the Opposition a window of opportunity.

Numbers alone do not always reveal the true picture but in Gujarat this time it has revealed itself to be the real barometer for the BJP without Modi at the helm. BJP which is led by regional satraps can ill afford to depend on PM Modi&#39;s charisma alone,&nbsp; after Modi left the field in Gujarat the party has struggled to put a charismatic figure on top. This election has proved a Modi-less Gujarat is an open field for the Opposition, over the next five years it could open the door for the Congress and PAAS to put their noses in front.

The BJP should take Gujarat results as a wake-up call, rather than just another victory in the bag.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The vote share in the Gujarat elections reveal the mind of the voters

A day after being coronated president, Rahul Gandhi's political star seems to be on the rise. The political landscape could just be changing under Modi's nose, quite literally because this is Gujarat we are talking about. Rahul, like Sonia in 2004, could be on a comeback track as BJP's big gamble - GST and demonetisation - begin to hurt at the hustings. In a campaign which saw mudslinging from both sides, PM Modi led from the front sparing no one from former PM Manmohan Singh downwards to the controversial chaiwala remark allegedly made by Congress leader Manishankar Aiyar. Rahul's 'gamble' of tieing up with Hardik Patel's PAAS, Congress shrewdly cut the votes of BJP in a two-pronged strategy. The support given to Independent candidates along with PAAS supporters titled the scale in favour of the Congress. The grand old party was not expected to perform well, some experts felt it had lost control of the ground realities in the state, combined with the high-voltage campaign led by PM Modi. The vote share in the Gujarat elections reveal the mind of the voters, the ruling BJP has won 49.1% of the votes, with Congress(41.5%) and Independents(4.3%) cornering over 45 per cent vote share. The BJP will view this with concern and dread, if Gujarat is seen as a "template" then life for the BJP could get tougher in the next state polls with the Congress realigning its strategy to tie-up with parties who have local and regional flavour. In this sense, Rahul is following the ''2004 model'' when his mother Sonia Gandhi pitched-in with a coalition to take on the BJP juggernaut ultimately leading to the fall of PM Atal Bihari-led NDA. In 2017, however, it is an altogether different political landscape which is ruled by PM Modi. With the Congress on a long losing streak in state polls ever since the BJP dislodged it from power in 2014, Gujarat polls could be a turning point both for the Congress and Rahul. The Congress may still bring the BJP down the below 100-seat level, either way, Rahul's party is set to surpass all expectations as they had won just 43 seats in the last assembly polls in 2012. Congress winning over 70 seats would be a major boost for India's main opposition party which currently has just 44 MPs in the Lok Sabha. It will also drastically change the poll arithmetic in the Rajya Sabha in the future and will give the Opposition a window of opportunity. Numbers alone do not always reveal the true picture but in Gujarat this time it has revealed itself to be the real barometer for the BJP without Modi at the helm. BJP which is led by regional satraps can ill afford to depend on PM Modi's charisma alone, after Modi left the field in Gujarat the party has struggled to put a charismatic figure on top. This election has proved a Modi-less Gujarat is an open field for the Opposition, over the next five years it could open the door for the Congress and PAAS to put their noses in front. The BJP should take Gujarat results as a wake-up call, rather than just another victory in the bag. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Rahul, Hardik run out BJP at 99

The BJP successfully pulled off the Gujarat election. But the Congress put up a most valiant fight, particularly in ten constituencies where the Grand Old Party gave a shock to BJP.

In the defeat of BJP in these constituencies, few factors, such as the Patidar movement, Jignesh-Hardik-Alpesh trio and anti-incumbency played a very crucial role. In fact, the Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel won by a close margin.

BJP performed poorly in the rural and tribal areas.

Losing these important seats means,&nbsp;BJP needs to closely analyse the factors behind its defeat before proceeding to the general election in 2019.

In the Gujarat assembly elections 2017, the Radhanpur seat was claimed by the Indian National Congress (INC). Its candidate Alpesh Khodaji Thakor won 85777 votes. On the other hand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate, Lavingji Muljiji Thakor Solanki managed to win only 70920 votes.

In 2012, the BJP&rsquo;s Nagarji Harchandji Thakor won 69493 votes to secure the seat but lost to Alpesh Thakor of Indian National Congress. So, the Patidar factor completely played out against the BJP in this constituency.

Ever since the Una incident and other instances of atrocities against the Dalit, the community has been turning against the ruling party in Gujarat. Their cause has been most vociferously argued by the Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani. Mevani contested the election from the Vadgam constituency in Gujarat. He defeated BJP&#39;s nominee Vijay Chakravarti by 19,696 votes.

Mevani, who contested as an independent candidate with the support of the Congress, polled 95,497 votes on the seat reserved for a Schedule Caste nominee where&nbsp;Vijay&nbsp;Chakravarti got 75,801 votes. This is indeed a massive victory for Mevani and an indication how&nbsp;dissatisfaction is growing fast among the Dalits.

The Patan constituency was claimed by the Congress&rsquo; Kiritkumar Chimanlal Patel. Patel factor was highly influential in this region and that helped Congress party to get a hold on this constituency.

Patel managed to win 103273 votes, defeating BJP&rsquo;s Ranchhodbhai Mahijibhai Desai, who could secure only 77994 votes.

In 2012, Congress candidate Jodhaji Galabji Thakor lost the seat to BJP&rsquo;s Ranchhodbhai Mahijibhai Desai who won the seat with 67224 votes.

Since 1990, BJP has been winning the Junagadh constituency. However, the 2017 election has caused a major set back for the ruling party.&nbsp;Mashru Mahendrabhai Liladharbhai, a very powerful BJP politician lost the election due to the Patidars turning against the BJP.

This constituency is&nbsp;in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat.&nbsp;Junagadh constituency recorded a voter turnout of 59.53&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;in the 2017 Gujarat Assembly elections.&nbsp;

Shankar Choudhary, a Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Medical Education, Environment and Urban Development lost the seat of Vav constituency to an emerging politician, Thakor Geniben Nagaji.

Alpesh Thakore made Geniben Nagaji to contest the election from Vav constituency and took away this important seat from BJP. Also, the condition of Vav district was very poor at the time of floods. Shankar Choudhary was not able to control the situation which was one of the reasons&nbsp;for his defeat.

Congress candidate Asha Patel has won the Unjha&nbsp;seat by over 19,000 votes. It comes under Vadnagar district which is Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s hometown.&nbsp;

Sitting BJP MLA Narayan Patel lost to Congress. The&nbsp;Patidar wave was very strong in the region.&nbsp;At least 40&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;of the population in Unjha is from the Patidar community and the anger against the BJP is visible.

The constituency of Jamalpur - Khadia belonged to the BJP but Imran Yusufbhai Khedawala of Congress won by a margin of 29339 votes. This constituency was very important for BJP, but now&nbsp;BJP&#39;s citadel has fallen in that region.&nbsp;BJP&rsquo;s late Ashok Bhatt had been winning this seat since 1975. His son&nbsp;Bhushan Bhatt tried to continue the legacy but he failed. The failure primarily stemmed from grievances related to local issues.

BJP had a strong hold on Morbi but Congress managed to snatch it.&nbsp;Patidar movement played an important factor in this region and the Patidar influence was visible in the results.

Brijesh Merja of INC defeated Amrutiya Kantilal Shivlal of BJP by a margin of 3419.

In Dhari district, J V Kakadiya of Indian National Congress won the election and&nbsp;defeated Dilip Sanghani. The defeat was definitely&nbsp;a shock for BJP, as Dilip Sanghani is considered as a big name, a heavyweight for BJP. Here the Patidar factor again played a crucial role in BJP&#39;s defeat.

Jai Narayan Vyas from Sidhpur district lost to Thakor Chandanjii Talaji of Congress. The BJP candidate Jaynarayan Vyas was defeated, for the second time, after 2012, as he could secure only 71008 votes. Here Alpesh Thakore played a crucial role in mobilising the Thakore community against BJP.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

In the defeat of BJP in these constituencies, few factors, such as the Patidar movement, Jignesh-Hardik-Alpesh trio and anti-incumbency played a very crucial role.

The BJP successfully pulled off the Gujarat election. But the Congress put up a most valiant fight, particularly in ten constituencies where the Grand Old Party gave a shock to BJP. In the defeat of BJP in these constituencies, few factors, such as the Patidar movement, Jignesh-Hardik-Alpesh trio and anti-incumbency played a very crucial role. In fact, the Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel won by a close margin. BJP performed poorly in the rural and tribal areas. Losing these important seats means, BJP needs to closely analyse the factors behind its defeat before proceeding to the general election in 2019. In the Gujarat assembly elections 2017, the Radhanpur seat was claimed by the Indian National Congress (INC). Its candidate Alpesh Khodaji Thakor won 85777 votes. On the other hand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate, Lavingji Muljiji Thakor Solanki managed to win only 70920 votes. In 2012, the BJP’s Nagarji Harchandji Thakor won 69493 votes to secure the seat but lost to Alpesh Thakor of Indian National Congress. So, the Patidar factor completely played out against the BJP in this constituency. Ever since the Una incident and other instances of atrocities against the Dalit, the community has been turning against the ruling party in Gujarat. Their cause has been most vociferously argued by the Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani. Mevani contested the election from the Vadgam constituency in Gujarat. He defeated BJP's nominee Vijay Chakravarti by 19,696 votes. Mevani, who contested as an independent candidate with the support of the Congress, polled 95,497 votes on the seat reserved for a Schedule Caste nominee where Vijay Chakravarti got 75,801 votes. This is indeed a massive victory for Mevani and an indication how dissatisfaction is growing fast among the Dalits. The Patan constituency was claimed by the Congress’ Kiritkumar Chimanlal Patel. Patel factor was highly influential in this region and that helped Congress party to get a hold on this constituency. Patel managed to win 103273 votes, defeating BJP’s Ranchhodbhai Mahijibhai Desai, who could secure only 77994 votes. In 2012, Congress candidate Jodhaji Galabji Thakor lost the seat to BJP’s Ranchhodbhai Mahijibhai Desai who won the seat with 67224 votes. Since 1990, BJP has been winning the Junagadh constituency. However, the 2017 election has caused a major set back for the ruling party. Mashru Mahendrabhai Liladharbhai, a very powerful BJP politician lost the election due to the Patidars turning against the BJP. This constituency is in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat. Junagadh constituency recorded a voter turnout of 59.53 per cent in the 2017 Gujarat Assembly elections. Shankar Choudhary, a Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Medical Education, Environment and Urban Development lost the seat of Vav constituency to an emerging politician, Thakor Geniben Nagaji. Alpesh Thakore made Geniben Nagaji to contest the election from Vav constituency and took away this important seat from BJP. Also, the condition of Vav district was very poor at the time of floods. Shankar Choudhary was not able to control the situation which was one of the reasons for his defeat. Congress candidate Asha Patel has won the Unjha seat by over 19,000 votes. It comes under Vadnagar district which is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's hometown. Sitting BJP MLA Narayan Patel lost to Congress. The Patidar wave was very strong in the region. At least 40 per cent of the population in Unjha is from the Patidar community and the anger against the BJP is visible. The constituency of Jamalpur - Khadia belonged to the BJP but Imran Yusufbhai Khedawala of Congress won by a margin of 29339 votes. This constituency was very important for BJP, but now BJP's citadel has fallen in that region. BJP’s late Ashok Bhatt had been winning this seat since 1975. His son Bhushan Bhatt tried to continue the legacy but he failed. The failure primarily stemmed from grievances related to local issues. BJP had a strong hold on Morbi but Congress managed to snatch it. Patidar movement played an important factor in this region and the Patidar influence was visible in the results. Brijesh Merja of INC defeated Amrutiya Kantilal Shivlal of BJP by a margin of 3419. In Dhari district, J V Kakadiya of Indian National Congress won the election and defeated Dilip Sanghani. The defeat was definitely a shock for BJP, as Dilip Sanghani is considered as a big name, a heavyweight for BJP. Here the Patidar factor again played a crucial role in BJP's defeat. Jai Narayan Vyas from Sidhpur district lost to Thakor Chandanjii Talaji of Congress. The BJP candidate Jaynarayan Vyas was defeated, for the second time, after 2012, as he could secure only 71008 votes. Here Alpesh Thakore played a crucial role in mobilising the Thakore community against BJP. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: Why was BJP defeated in these key Gujarat constituencies

Until about 11 in the morning today, it was not just the Bharatiya Janata Party but also the exit pollsters that were a worried lot. The Congress had gained leads in a significant number of seats in the Gujarat Assembly election result, while the BJP was trailing. But then the trend changed and the BJP surged ahead, and maintained the lead to the end. All said and done, after cutting through various arguments and counter-arguments and nuanced commentaries, the truth was: The BJP had retained Gujarat for a sixth term and the Congress had lost the best opportunity it had in two decades to unseat the ruling party.

&nbsp;

Both victory and defeat are a result of a combination of factors, and the Gujarat outcome too is no exception. The biggest factor has been the leadership. Both the national parties did not have a chief ministerial candidate, and so they had to depend on their central leaders to work the magic. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi found themselves pitted against each other in the State, and the former has emerged victorious.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

What went right for Modi and wrong for Rahul Gandhi? That can be debated endlessly, but the fact is that the Congress&rsquo;s juggernaut of defeats shows no sign of halting &mdash; the party has lost Himachal Pradesh too, and by a massive margin &mdash; just as the BJP&rsquo;s winning spree remains on course.

&nbsp;

The Congress can claim consolation from the following two facts. The first is that its vote-share has gone up as compared to 2012; it has been around 44 per cent. And the second is that the party has secured more seats than it did in the last Assembly election. But it&rsquo;s also a fact that the BJP&rsquo;s vote-share too has been boosted as compared to the previous election&mdash; it stood at about 50 per cent. The ruling party&rsquo;s seat tally has admittedly gone down, but the situation would have been worse had the BJP not been able to compensate for its losses in certain segments of the voters from gains elsewhere.

&nbsp;

It&rsquo;s interesting that even as the Congress improved its performance, many of its senior local leaders, including Shaktisinh Gohil, Siddharth Patel and Arjun Modhawadhia, lost the battle. On the other hand, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel triumphed from constituencies which analysts had believed were this time lost for the party. Rupani contested from Rajkot (West) and Nitin Patel from Mehsana, and both these regions were said to harbour strong anti-BJP sentiments on account of the Patidar agitation.

&nbsp;

In leadership terms, while the BJP depended on Modi for the winning connect with the voters and party president Amit Shah for strategy, Rahul Gandhi had to look for additional support from the trio of three caste leaders &mdash; Hardik Patel, Jignesh Mevani and Alpesh Thakur. It can be said that this strategy did work for the Congress, but in a very limited sense.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

While the party gained considerable ground in Saurashtra &mdash; in fact, this was the only region where Congress was on the course to winning more seats than the BJP &mdash; on the strength of the Patidar votes, it had to pay a price through the loss in support of the tribal and the Scheduled Caste voters. And while the Congress made mild gains in central, north and south Gujarat, they were simply not enough and the BJP maintained its hegemony in those regions. Clearly, voters were not too happy with the Congress&rsquo;s brazen caste politics.

&nbsp;

It should also be kept in mind that while the Patidar votes effectively split and caused damage to the BJP given that the party had a complete hold over this community in the 2012 poll, all was not altogether lost. According to a survey, while the result was pouring in, the BJP managed to gain significantly in a majority of the 39 seats where the Patidar factor was decisive.

&nbsp;

If the Patidar factor fetched limits gains for the Congress, the party&rsquo;s diatribe against the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) failed to work. The BJP swept the commercial cities of Surat, Ahmedabad and Rajkot &mdash; in all of which the trader community was reportedly upset with the ruling party on the issue and supposedly planning to vote against the BJP. The development reminds me of the remark that a businessman in Mehsana had made when I asked him about GST: &ldquo;We may be upset but that does not mean we will vote against the BJP.&rdquo; The BJP can now claim with confidence that the voters of Gujarat have endorsed GST and demonetisation.

&nbsp;

The other interesting factor is the result on seats that voted in the first phase and the second phase. Of the 89 seats that voted in the first round, the BJP won more than half the seats. But in the 93 seats that voted in the second phase, the party swept with more than 60 seats. There are two reasons for this outcome. The first is that Saurashtra, which happened to be the BJP&rsquo;s weak spot this time, voted in the earlier round, and the results reflect that. The second reason is more interesting. It was in the run-up to the second phase that several controversies, including personal slights against Prime Minister Modi came up, and Modi seized the issues to harp on Gujarati pride.

&nbsp;

The BJP has reason to celebrate, given that it has emerged victorious in the face of the most determined onslaught by the Congress in decades and a caste-combination that positioned itself against the ruling party. However, the party cannot brush under the carpet trends that are worrisome for it.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The Bharat-India divide was evident in the State election result. Of the 98 seats that fall in rural Gujarat, the majority went to the Congress, while the BJP swept the 53 urban seats. It is evident that the farmer&rsquo;s distress worked against the BJP. Whether the farmer discontent is perceptional, given that the party has been repeatedly saying that agricultural growth in the State has touched 10 per cent over the last five years, is immaterial. If the party does not handle the rural discontent, it could face bigger challenges in the 2019 Lok Sabha poll.

&nbsp;

Similarly, the party has to find ways to win over the Patidar community. Hardik Patel appeared belligerent at a Press conference this afternoon, refusing to accept the BJP&rsquo;s win and claiming that the victory was the result of rigged electronic voting machines. More importantly, he has announced a re-invigorated agitation for reservations. The party cannot depend on a split Patidar community to see it through every time or see its narrative of development alone to fetch triumphs.

&nbsp;

Having blown away a golden opportunity, the Congress, now formally led by Rahul Gandhi, needs to re-evaluate its strategy. It&rsquo;s possible that voices will emerge, yet again, of a grand coalition to take on the Modi-led BJP. Will that happen, and will the potential partners accept Rahul Gandhi&rsquo;s leadership, only time will tell.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

&nbsp;

Of the 98 seats that fall in rural Gujarat, the majority went to the Congress, while the BJP swept the 53 urban seats. It is evident that the farmer?s distress worked against the BJP.

Until about 11 in the morning today, it was not just the Bharatiya Janata Party but also the exit pollsters that were a worried lot. The Congress had gained leads in a significant number of seats in the Gujarat Assembly election result, while the BJP was trailing. But then the trend changed and the BJP surged ahead, and maintained the lead to the end. All said and done, after cutting through various arguments and counter-arguments and nuanced commentaries, the truth was: The BJP had retained Gujarat for a sixth term and the Congress had lost the best opportunity it had in two decades to unseat the ruling party. Both victory and defeat are a result of a combination of factors, and the Gujarat outcome too is no exception. The biggest factor has been the leadership. Both the national parties did not have a chief ministerial candidate, and so they had to depend on their central leaders to work the magic. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi found themselves pitted against each other in the State, and the former has emerged victorious. What went right for Modi and wrong for Rahul Gandhi? That can be debated endlessly, but the fact is that the Congress’s juggernaut of defeats shows no sign of halting — the party has lost Himachal Pradesh too, and by a massive margin — just as the BJP’s winning spree remains on course. The Congress can claim consolation from the following two facts. The first is that its vote-share has gone up as compared to 2012; it has been around 44 per cent. And the second is that the party has secured more seats than it did in the last Assembly election. But it’s also a fact that the BJP’s vote-share too has been boosted as compared to the previous election— it stood at about 50 per cent. The ruling party’s seat tally has admittedly gone down, but the situation would have been worse had the BJP not been able to compensate for its losses in certain segments of the voters from gains elsewhere. It’s interesting that even as the Congress improved its performance, many of its senior local leaders, including Shaktisinh Gohil, Siddharth Patel and Arjun Modhawadhia, lost the battle. On the other hand, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel triumphed from constituencies which analysts had believed were this time lost for the party. Rupani contested from Rajkot (West) and Nitin Patel from Mehsana, and both these regions were said to harbour strong anti-BJP sentiments on account of the Patidar agitation. In leadership terms, while the BJP depended on Modi for the winning connect with the voters and party president Amit Shah for strategy, Rahul Gandhi had to look for additional support from the trio of three caste leaders — Hardik Patel, Jignesh Mevani and Alpesh Thakur. It can be said that this strategy did work for the Congress, but in a very limited sense. While the party gained considerable ground in Saurashtra — in fact, this was the only region where Congress was on the course to winning more seats than the BJP — on the strength of the Patidar votes, it had to pay a price through the loss in support of the tribal and the Scheduled Caste voters. And while the Congress made mild gains in central, north and south Gujarat, they were simply not enough and the BJP maintained its hegemony in those regions. Clearly, voters were not too happy with the Congress’s brazen caste politics. It should also be kept in mind that while the Patidar votes effectively split and caused damage to the BJP given that the party had a complete hold over this community in the 2012 poll, all was not altogether lost. According to a survey, while the result was pouring in, the BJP managed to gain significantly in a majority of the 39 seats where the Patidar factor was decisive. If the Patidar factor fetched limits gains for the Congress, the party’s diatribe against the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) failed to work. The BJP swept the commercial cities of Surat, Ahmedabad and Rajkot — in all of which the trader community was reportedly upset with the ruling party on the issue and supposedly planning to vote against the BJP. The development reminds me of the remark that a businessman in Mehsana had made when I asked him about GST: “We may be upset but that does not mean we will vote against the BJP.” The BJP can now claim with confidence that the voters of Gujarat have endorsed GST and demonetisation. The other interesting factor is the result on seats that voted in the first phase and the second phase. Of the 89 seats that voted in the first round, the BJP won more than half the seats. But in the 93 seats that voted in the second phase, the party swept with more than 60 seats. There are two reasons for this outcome. The first is that Saurashtra, which happened to be the BJP’s weak spot this time, voted in the earlier round, and the results reflect that. The second reason is more interesting. It was in the run-up to the second phase that several controversies, including personal slights against Prime Minister Modi came up, and Modi seized the issues to harp on Gujarati pride. The BJP has reason to celebrate, given that it has emerged victorious in the face of the most determined onslaught by the Congress in decades and a caste-combination that positioned itself against the ruling party. However, the party cannot brush under the carpet trends that are worrisome for it. The Bharat-India divide was evident in the State election result. Of the 98 seats that fall in rural Gujarat, the majority went to the Congress, while the BJP swept the 53 urban seats. It is evident that the farmer’s distress worked against the BJP. Whether the farmer discontent is perceptional, given that the party has been repeatedly saying that agricultural growth in the State has touched 10 per cent over the last five years, is immaterial. If the party does not handle the rural discontent, it could face bigger challenges in the 2019 Lok Sabha poll. Similarly, the party has to find ways to win over the Patidar community. Hardik Patel appeared belligerent at a Press conference this afternoon, refusing to accept the BJP’s win and claiming that the victory was the result of rigged electronic voting machines. More importantly, he has announced a re-invigorated agitation for reservations. The party cannot depend on a split Patidar community to see it through every time or see its narrative of development alone to fetch triumphs. Having blown away a golden opportunity, the Congress, now formally led by Rahul Gandhi, needs to re-evaluate its strategy. It’s possible that voices will emerge, yet again, of a grand coalition to take on the Modi-led BJP. Will that happen, and will the potential partners accept Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, only time will tell. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Gujarat election displayed Bharat-India divide

Gujarat for Modi is pride. While winning in Uttar Pradesh was important for the BJP because of the sheer number of seats&nbsp;it added to its kitty, at Gujarat, winning was symbolically and politically significant. Winning in Uttar Pradesh came with the promise of bringing in development. In Gujarat, the BJP was fighting to perpetuate and extend the state&#39;s development model all over India.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

This was the first time that Modi has been campaigning in the state, not as a chief minister. Since the ouster of Anandiben Patel and the ascension of Vijay Rupani as the chief minister, the image of the party has taken a beating in the state. This election, the BJP&#39;s sole strategy was to resell Modi as a brand. For nearly two decades, it had taken it easy, relying on Modi&#39;s image, record and high rhetoric. But, this year, it has been forced to push its entire party machinery into the battle. The way BJP state machinery mobilised people at the grassroot level, linking the anger and expectations of common people to those in the central command, reminds us of the electoral strategies of the Left in the state of West Bengal.

&nbsp;

Uttar Pradesh was easy because the BJP was only needed to point out the glaring lacuna of Mulayam-Akhilesh&#39;s Samajwadi Party and Mayawati&#39;s Bahujan Samaj Party. But in Gujarat, the election was all about getting the popular mandate on continuing the Gujarat model of development, which in recent times have come under tremendous attack from many prominent economists.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

BJP&#39;s battle in Gujarat has been direct and personal. In Uttar Pradesh, the battle was fought against a number of leaders; Modi mentioned SCAM-S for Samajwadi (party), C for Congress, A for Akhilesh (Yadav) and M for Mayawati. But in Gujarat, the salvo was unambiguously fired against Congress and Rahul Gandhi over dynastic politics and the party&#39;s &quot;need&quot; to play caste politics.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Barring the exception of responding to Mani Shankar Aiyar&#39;s &quot;neech&quot; comment, the BJP, as well as, Prime Minister Modi stuck to the development rhetoric. Modi himself had given the slogan &ndash; &ldquo;I am vikas, I am Gujarat&rdquo; -- to emphasise that the BJP will own its development model. Modi focused on roads, water and irrigation, law and order, electrification, public expenditure on education, and industrialisation.

&nbsp;

But it was not a blanket appeal based on development, Modi made a very specific class-based overture. So while to the middle-class in the cities, he spoke of the government&rsquo;s schemes for affordable housing and reduction of stent prices. To the poor, he spoke of new toilets, and used it to demolish the Congress narrative of how his sarkar was one for the rich.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Both GST and demonestisation became crucial planks of Modi&#39;s promise of a clean government in Gujarat. Negatively affected by these two reforms, the Baniya class of Gujarat was expected to vote against the BJP. In fact, soon after the tax was rolled out earlier this year, several trader organisations took to protests, including the textile traders of Surat.

&nbsp;

From the trends so far, as well as, according to the claims of the BJP leaders, the Party has swept all the 12 seats in the industrial region. This is shown as a proof that the discontent around GST has not turned voters against the BJP. Modi has, in the final analysis, successfully fitted GST and demonetisation in the larger narrative against corruption.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Apart from presenting GST and demonetisation as integral to national good, Modi to assuage anger of the Gujarati businessmen, have cut down tax rates on many Gujarat-specific items, including sewing thread of man-made filaments and thread of man-made staple fibres, synthetic filament yarn (nylon, polyester), food items such as khakhra and namkeens, among others.

&nbsp;

The anticipation of Congress, that the simmering anger will be fatal for Congress on the election day has proved to be wrong.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Narendra Modi successfully turned the 6 per cent wavering voter of Gujarat through his emotional appeals and politicking against which the INC failed to come up with an appropriate electoral strategy.

&nbsp;

It was mostly in the second phase of the campaign that Modi successfully appealed to voters sentiment and through political polarisation the BJP to an extent diffused the anger against demonetisation. But having said these, we can&#39;t say that this was an easy election for the BJP. Congress gave the party a very steep fight. The Patidar defection, as well as, the incumbency factor played a crucial role in preventing BJP from sweeping the state.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

A win is a win. At the end of the day, Congress lost. But some loses may actually indicate a win in not so distant future.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

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&nbsp;

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Narendra Modi successfully turned the 6 per cent wavering voter of Gujarat through his emotional appeals and politicking against which the INC failed to come up with an appropriate electoral strategy.

Gujarat for Modi is pride. While winning in Uttar Pradesh was important for the BJP because of the sheer number of seats it added to its kitty, at Gujarat, winning was symbolically and politically significant. Winning in Uttar Pradesh came with the promise of bringing in development. In Gujarat, the BJP was fighting to perpetuate and extend the state's development model all over India. This was the first time that Modi has been campaigning in the state, not as a chief minister. Since the ouster of Anandiben Patel and the ascension of Vijay Rupani as the chief minister, the image of the party has taken a beating in the state. This election, the BJP's sole strategy was to resell Modi as a brand. For nearly two decades, it had taken it easy, relying on Modi's image, record and high rhetoric. But, this year, it has been forced to push its entire party machinery into the battle. The way BJP state machinery mobilised people at the grassroot level, linking the anger and expectations of common people to those in the central command, reminds us of the electoral strategies of the Left in the state of West Bengal. Uttar Pradesh was easy because the BJP was only needed to point out the glaring lacuna of Mulayam-Akhilesh's Samajwadi Party and Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party. But in Gujarat, the election was all about getting the popular mandate on continuing the Gujarat model of development, which in recent times have come under tremendous attack from many prominent economists. BJP's battle in Gujarat has been direct and personal. In Uttar Pradesh, the battle was fought against a number of leaders; Modi mentioned SCAM-S for Samajwadi (party), C for Congress, A for Akhilesh (Yadav) and M for Mayawati. But in Gujarat, the salvo was unambiguously fired against Congress and Rahul Gandhi over dynastic politics and the party's "need" to play caste politics. Barring the exception of responding to Mani Shankar Aiyar's "neech" comment, the BJP, as well as, Prime Minister Modi stuck to the development rhetoric. Modi himself had given the slogan – “I am vikas, I am Gujarat” -- to emphasise that the BJP will own its development model. Modi focused on roads, water and irrigation, law and order, electrification, public expenditure on education, and industrialisation. But it was not a blanket appeal based on development, Modi made a very specific class-based overture. So while to the middle-class in the cities, he spoke of the government’s schemes for affordable housing and reduction of stent prices. To the poor, he spoke of new toilets, and used it to demolish the Congress narrative of how his sarkar was one for the rich. Both GST and demonestisation became crucial planks of Modi's promise of a clean government in Gujarat. Negatively affected by these two reforms, the Baniya class of Gujarat was expected to vote against the BJP. In fact, soon after the tax was rolled out earlier this year, several trader organisations took to protests, including the textile traders of Surat. From the trends so far, as well as, according to the claims of the BJP leaders, the Party has swept all the 12 seats in the industrial region. This is shown as a proof that the discontent around GST has not turned voters against the BJP. Modi has, in the final analysis, successfully fitted GST and demonetisation in the larger narrative against corruption. Apart from presenting GST and demonetisation as integral to national good, Modi to assuage anger of the Gujarati businessmen, have cut down tax rates on many Gujarat-specific items, including sewing thread of man-made filaments and thread of man-made staple fibres, synthetic filament yarn (nylon, polyester), food items such as khakhra and namkeens, among others. The anticipation of Congress, that the simmering anger will be fatal for Congress on the election day has proved to be wrong. Narendra Modi successfully turned the 6 per cent wavering voter of Gujarat through his emotional appeals and politicking against which the INC failed to come up with an appropriate electoral strategy. It was mostly in the second phase of the campaign that Modi successfully appealed to voters sentiment and through political polarisation the BJP to an extent diffused the anger against demonetisation. But having said these, we can't say that this was an easy election for the BJP. Congress gave the party a very steep fight. The Patidar defection, as well as, the incumbency factor played a crucial role in preventing BJP from sweeping the state. A win is a win. At the end of the day, Congress lost. But some loses may actually indicate a win in not so distant future. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: In spite of GST, how Modi won Gujarat

The BJP is set to form the government both in Gujarat and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/2017himachal-pradesh-elections-himachal-poll-live-results-27015">Himachal Pradesh. In leads</a> announced this morning, the BJP is ahead in 99 seats in Gujarat currently with the Congress leading in 80 seats, Others(Independents and small parties) are leading in 5 seats.

In a major surprise during the day, Congress was leading <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gujarat-elections-2017-live-results-27014">over the BJP in Gujarat in</a> 88 seats, however, it settled down later as the ruling party in Gujarat pulled ahead.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gujarat-elections-2017-live-results-27014">Follow: Live Gujarat election updates</a>

Home minister Rajnath Singh reflecting on BJP&#39;s show in Gujarat,&nbsp;said: &quot;BJP will form government in both Himachal and Gujarat with clear majority. The result is as per our expectations.&quot;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/2017himachal-pradesh-elections-himachal-poll-live-results-27015">Follow: Live Himachal Pradesh election updates</a>

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BJP leads in 105 seats; Congress at 75 (ANI)
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Gujarat fisheries minister Babubhai Bokhiriya defeated&nbsp;Congress&#39; Arjun Modhvadia in Porbandar, with the&nbsp;saffron party set to retain power for a record sixth term.

The BJP <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/assembly-elections-2017-see-how-gujarat-voted-27051">has won every election since 1995 </a>in the home state of PM&nbsp;Modi. However, it was out of power for a couple of years due to party infighting&nbsp;by Shankersinh Vaghela. BJP came back to power in 1998, and has ruled uninterrupted since then.

In Himachal Pradesh, the BJP dislodged the Congress leading in 45 seats with the chief minister Virbhadra Singh&#39;s Congress trailing way behind with 20 seats in the 68-seat assembly.

The results in Himachal was especially heartening for the ruling party at the Centre as another Congress bastion fell by a huge margin.

In Himachal, six-time chief minister Virbhadra Singh and his son Vikramaditya Singh were leading from Arki and Shimla, however, the Congress party is on a losing streak in the state with the BJP leading in over 40 seats.&nbsp;

Prem Kumar Dhumal, BJP&#39;s chief ministerial candidate in Himachal Pradesh is battling Congress candidate Rajinder Rana in Sujanpur in a see-saw struggle.

In a major surprise during the day, Congress was leading over the BJP in Gujarat in 88 seats

The BJP is set to form the government both in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. In leads announced this morning, the BJP is ahead in 99 seats in Gujarat currently with the Congress leading in 80 seats, Others(Independents and small parties) are leading in 5 seats. In a major surprise during the day, Congress was leading over the BJP in Gujarat in 88 seats, however, it settled down later as the ruling party in Gujarat pulled ahead. Follow: Live Gujarat election updates Home minister Rajnath Singh reflecting on BJP's show in Gujarat, said: "BJP will form government in both Himachal and Gujarat with clear majority. The result is as per our expectations." Follow: Live Himachal Pradesh election updates BJP leads in 105 seats; Congress at 75 (ANI) × Gujarat fisheries minister Babubhai Bokhiriya defeated Congress' Arjun Modhvadia in Porbandar, with the saffron party set to retain power for a record sixth term. The BJP has won every election since 1995 in the home state of PM Modi. However, it was out of power for a couple of years due to party infighting by Shankersinh Vaghela. BJP came back to power in 1998, and has ruled uninterrupted since then. In Himachal Pradesh, the BJP dislodged the Congress leading in 45 seats with the chief minister Virbhadra Singh's Congress trailing way behind with 20 seats in the 68-seat assembly. The results in Himachal was especially heartening for the ruling party at the Centre as another Congress bastion fell by a huge margin. In Himachal, six-time chief minister Virbhadra Singh and his son Vikramaditya Singh were leading from Arki and Shimla, however, the Congress party is on a losing streak in the state with the BJP leading in over 40 seats. Prem Kumar Dhumal, BJP's chief ministerial candidate in Himachal Pradesh is battling Congress candidate Rajinder Rana in Sujanpur in a see-saw struggle.

Assembly poll results: BJP on victory march in Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh

Chotu Bhai Vasava has been in the Gujarat Assembly for a record six times in a row. About to be elected for the seventh time, the sitting MLA from the Jhagadia constituency in Bharuch District of Gujarat is no ordinary person. Running his entire campaign from his village house where even cell phones don&rsquo;t work, Vasava never feels tired talking on his landline.

As a tribal leader of the state, Vasava is a strong advocate of Bhilistan, a state comprising of tribal areas of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. No matter which party he represents, Chotu Bhai Vasava is a winner because of sheer support of tribal votes which have the capacity to influence the results in 27 of the 182 Seat assembly.

Tribals have an important say in Assembly elections as they have a strong 15 per cent vote share in the state. Traditionally, the tribals have been a loyal voter of the BJP. However, in the last assembly elections, Congress took a significant share and claimed 16 of the 27 seats in the tribal belt. The most important reason for this win was the tie-up with Chotu Bhai Vasava who was contesting on a JD (U) ticket. Similar to the last Assembly election, the Congress left 5 of these 27 seats at the discretion of Chotu Bhai Vasava so that they get the support of tribals in all 27 seats.

During the current split in the JD (U), Chotu Bhai Vasava chose to be with Mr Sharad Yadav instead of Nitish Kumar and, hence, was disqualified to contest on the JD (U) ticket. Vasava is not a man to take this lying down, he, therefore, floated his own party, the &ldquo;Bhartiya Tribal Party&rdquo;.

For BJP,&nbsp; the votes of the tribal community were important and, hence, much before the party started its election campaign, the RSS started campaigning in various tribal areas to create Hindutva awareness. Even the RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat conducted a programme in heart of the tribal belt. The number of Hanuman temples in the tribal belt have swelled up many times in last few years, reflecting RSS inroads in this belt.

As far as the BJP is concerned, the Chief Minister Mr Vijay Rupani also flagged off an Adivasi Vikas Gaurav Yatra in February 2017 to influence the tribals so that the loss of 2012 can be recovered. BJP knew that the Patidar votes are going away and, hence, regaining the tribal vote bank is of utmost importance.

Meanwhile, in his home in Jhagadia, a man is sitting unnerved. He is confident of his win despite being the candidate with the highest number of criminal cases against him. His slogan is simple:

&ldquo;Sirf Naam hi Kaafi Hai&rdquo;

&ldquo;Sir Ek Hi Sarkar&rdquo;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

BJP knew that the Patidar votes are going away and, hence, regaining the tribal vote bank is of utmost importance.

Chotu Bhai Vasava has been in the Gujarat Assembly for a record six times in a row. About to be elected for the seventh time, the sitting MLA from the Jhagadia constituency in Bharuch District of Gujarat is no ordinary person. Running his entire campaign from his village house where even cell phones don’t work, Vasava never feels tired talking on his landline. As a tribal leader of the state, Vasava is a strong advocate of Bhilistan, a state comprising of tribal areas of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. No matter which party he represents, Chotu Bhai Vasava is a winner because of sheer support of tribal votes which have the capacity to influence the results in 27 of the 182 Seat assembly. Tribals have an important say in Assembly elections as they have a strong 15 per cent vote share in the state. Traditionally, the tribals have been a loyal voter of the BJP. However, in the last assembly elections, Congress took a significant share and claimed 16 of the 27 seats in the tribal belt. The most important reason for this win was the tie-up with Chotu Bhai Vasava who was contesting on a JD (U) ticket. Similar to the last Assembly election, the Congress left 5 of these 27 seats at the discretion of Chotu Bhai Vasava so that they get the support of tribals in all 27 seats. During the current split in the JD (U), Chotu Bhai Vasava chose to be with Mr Sharad Yadav instead of Nitish Kumar and, hence, was disqualified to contest on the JD (U) ticket. Vasava is not a man to take this lying down, he, therefore, floated his own party, the “Bhartiya Tribal Party”. For BJP, the votes of the tribal community were important and, hence, much before the party started its election campaign, the RSS started campaigning in various tribal areas to create Hindutva awareness. Even the RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat conducted a programme in heart of the tribal belt. The number of Hanuman temples in the tribal belt have swelled up many times in last few years, reflecting RSS inroads in this belt. As far as the BJP is concerned, the Chief Minister Mr Vijay Rupani also flagged off an Adivasi Vikas Gaurav Yatra in February 2017 to influence the tribals so that the loss of 2012 can be recovered. BJP knew that the Patidar votes are going away and, hence, regaining the tribal vote bank is of utmost importance. Meanwhile, in his home in Jhagadia, a man is sitting unnerved. He is confident of his win despite being the candidate with the highest number of criminal cases against him. His slogan is simple: “Sirf Naam hi Kaafi Hai” “Sir Ek Hi Sarkar” (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Chotu Bhai Vasava stopped BJP's victory march

After a mid-morning scare, it seems the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-will-form-government-in-gujarat-himachal-pradesh-home-minister-rajnath-singh-27041">all set to form a government</a> in the state for the sixth time. The party may be slightly shaken by the fact that these elections have been more uncomfortable than it may have expected - party president Amit Shah&#39;s claim of 150 seats at the beginning of the campaign now a distant cry.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/assembly-elections-2017-see-how-gujarat-voted-27051">Gujarat Assembly Elections: Track Live Updates</a>

The Congress may take heart from the fact that it has made significant gains from the 61 seats it won in 2012 and run the BJP close. But Rahul Gandhi will have two more lost states to show early into his presidency of the Congress party - a sign that doesn&#39;t augur well for 2019 elections.

Saurashtra &amp; Kutch

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Saurashtra (WION)
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Most of the BJP&#39;s losses came from Saurashtra and Kutch that voted in the first phase of the Gujarat elections on December 9. Of the 63 seats in the region, the BJP was ahead in 23 and then Congress was leading in 30. These losses are significant when compared to the 2012 elections where the BJP had won as many as 35 seats from the region and the Congress had won just 16.

In fact, the resentment against the BJP seems the most in Saurashtra&#39;s agrarian belt where the party may manage to win only 9 of the 32 seats - half of what it had in 2012. The Congress looks set to improve its tally from 11 to 22 - the most significant gains it has made in any region in Gujarat.

North Gujarat

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North Gujarat (WION)
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In North Gujarat, where the BJP was supposedly the weakest and the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/opinion-lanka-vikas-seaplanes-and-pesticides-the-curious-case-of-hardik-patel-26620">Hardik Patel factor</a> was supposed to hurt the party further, it seems then saffron brigade has given a good account of itself. In fact, of the 22 seats in the region, the BJP has improved on its 2012 tally of 15 and is said to win about 18 seats in the region.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-put-up-nice-campaign-gujarat-results-a-win-for-congress-ashok-gehlot-27046">The Congress</a> did not get the consolidation of Patel-OBC-Dalit votes against the BJP it has hoped for and seems to be losing five seats here - down to 12 these elections from the 17 it has in 2012. The Congress almost outsourced its campaign to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/hardik-patel-alleges-evm-hacking-in-gujarat-polls-26982">Hardik Patel</a> - and while the 24-year-old impacted the BJP&rsquo;s traditional votebank, it just wasn&rsquo;t enough.

Central Gujarat

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Central Gujarat (WION)
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Central Gujarat&#39;s 61 seats are where the BJP has made good some of its losses in other regions. Here in 2012 the party had managed 37 seats. Perhaps the Prime Minister&#39;s strident campaign especially in the second phase of polling helped consolidate the party&#39;s position further. The BJP is set to win 46 seats in this region. The Congress party&#39;s tally has fallen to 14 from 22.

South Gujarat

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South Gujarat (WION)
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The Congress has made minor gains in South Gujarat where it had managed just 6 of the 35 seats in 2012. This time they&rsquo;re in front in 13 seats. The BJP may lose five seats in this region where it had 28 seats in 2012.

Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat

The BJP seems to have held on to its urban voter base. Gujarat&#39;s three major cities - Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat account for about 36 constituencies of which then BJP is winning 31 this time around. While this is down from&nbsp; the 33 that the party had won in 2012, of the 70-odd urban seats in the state party will win 57 seats while the Congress gets only 16.

Leads for all <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gujarats-mood-is-countrys-mood-who-said-what-on-gujarat-elections-results-27042">182 seats in Gujarat</a> are in and the BJP is ahead in 106. Congress candidates are leading in 71 seats, up 10 seats from 2012. Remember these are leads at around noon - that&rsquo;s four hours into the counting - and there may be slight variance in the final tally.

&nbsp;

After a mid-morning scare, it seems the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is all set to form a government in Gujarat for the sixth time.

After a mid-morning scare, it seems the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is all set to form a government in the state for the sixth time. The party may be slightly shaken by the fact that these elections have been more uncomfortable than it may have expected - party president Amit Shah's claim of 150 seats at the beginning of the campaign now a distant cry. Gujarat Assembly Elections: Track Live Updates The Congress may take heart from the fact that it has made significant gains from the 61 seats it won in 2012 and run the BJP close. But Rahul Gandhi will have two more lost states to show early into his presidency of the Congress party - a sign that doesn't augur well for 2019 elections. Saurashtra & Kutch Saurashtra (WION) × Most of the BJP's losses came from Saurashtra and Kutch that voted in the first phase of the Gujarat elections on December 9. Of the 63 seats in the region, the BJP was ahead in 23 and then Congress was leading in 30. These losses are significant when compared to the 2012 elections where the BJP had won as many as 35 seats from the region and the Congress had won just 16. In fact, the resentment against the BJP seems the most in Saurashtra's agrarian belt where the party may manage to win only 9 of the 32 seats - half of what it had in 2012. The Congress looks set to improve its tally from 11 to 22 - the most significant gains it has made in any region in Gujarat. North Gujarat North Gujarat (WION) × In North Gujarat, where the BJP was supposedly the weakest and the Hardik Patel factor was supposed to hurt the party further, it seems then saffron brigade has given a good account of itself. In fact, of the 22 seats in the region, the BJP has improved on its 2012 tally of 15 and is said to win about 18 seats in the region. The Congress did not get the consolidation of Patel-OBC-Dalit votes against the BJP it has hoped for and seems to be losing five seats here - down to 12 these elections from the 17 it has in 2012. The Congress almost outsourced its campaign to Hardik Patel - and while the 24-year-old impacted the BJP’s traditional votebank, it just wasn’t enough. Central Gujarat Central Gujarat (WION) × Central Gujarat's 61 seats are where the BJP has made good some of its losses in other regions. Here in 2012 the party had managed 37 seats. Perhaps the Prime Minister's strident campaign especially in the second phase of polling helped consolidate the party's position further. The BJP is set to win 46 seats in this region. The Congress party's tally has fallen to 14 from 22. South Gujarat South Gujarat (WION) × The Congress has made minor gains in South Gujarat where it had managed just 6 of the 35 seats in 2012. This time they’re in front in 13 seats. The BJP may lose five seats in this region where it had 28 seats in 2012. Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat The BJP seems to have held on to its urban voter base. Gujarat's three major cities - Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat account for about 36 constituencies of which then BJP is winning 31 this time around. While this is down from the 33 that the party had won in 2012, of the 70-odd urban seats in the state party will win 57 seats while the Congress gets only 16. Leads for all 182 seats in Gujarat are in and the BJP is ahead in 106. Congress candidates are leading in 71 seats, up 10 seats from 2012. Remember these are leads at around noon - that’s four hours into the counting - and there may be slight variance in the final tally.

Assembly elections 2017: See how Gujarat voted

Jignesh Mevani, the independent candidate from Vadgam, has defeated his nearest rival, BJP&#39;s Vijaybhai Harkabhai Chakravarti. The Congress did not field a candidate against the 35-year-old Dalit leader, who was also backed by Arvind Kejriwal&#39;s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Mevani had <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gujarat-poll-result-independent-candidate-from-vadgam-rejects-bjp-win-predictions-says-exit-polls-are-nonsense-26970">rubbished exit poll results</a> which gave the BJP between 105-120 seats and said &quot;the BJP will definitely lose&quot;. He had also drawn flak after he suggested that Prime Minister Narendra Modi eats <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/modi-eats-mushrooms-worth-4-lakhs-everyday-alleges-gujarat-obc-leader-alpesh-thakore-26617">mushrooms worth four lakh rupees a day</a>, imported from Taiwan, that have made him fairer. Vadgam is considered a safe seat for the Congress - it is a reserved constituency Scheduled Caste candidates with a substantial Muslim population.

The Congress party&#39;s other big hope, OBC leader Alpesh Thakor, won the electoral battle against BJP rival Lavingji Thakor from Radhanpur in Patan district. Lavinji was a Congressman who crossed over to the BJP upset at being denied a ticket. Thakor&#39;s father Khidaji had been a BJP worker who parted ways with the party in the mid-1990s when Shankarsinh Vaghela split with the BJP. The 40-year-old junior Thakor is seen as an influential leader of the OBC community who rose to fame through statewide de-addictionn campaigns.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/opinion-three-angry-men-threaten-gujarat-narrative-24816">Also Read - Opinion: Congress is leading in Patidar districts. Why?</a>

Over half of Gujarat&#39;s population are OBCs and Dalits.

Both Thakor and Mevani were billed as Rahul Gandhi&#39;s deputies in Gujarat and slated to deliver the Dalit and OBC (Other Backward Caste) votes. In conjunction with Hardik Patel, who was swinging the BJP&#39;s traditional vote bank in the Patel community, the Alpesh-Jignesh-Hardik triumvirate was supposed to do all then heavy lifting at the Congress party&#39;s behest. Of the 39 seats with a high percentage of Patel voters, Congress seems to have polled over 54% of the votes but that wasn&#39;t enough in the final tally.

The anti-BJP consolidation amongst the Patels and the consolidation of the OBC-Dalit votebank hasn&#39;t happened the way the Congress would have hoped. While party has recovered remarkably after the smarting it received in 2014, not winning a single Lok Sabha seat from the state, and has improved significantly on its 2012 Assembly election tally of 61, it still hasn&#39;t proved enough to wrest power from the Bharatiya Janata Party.

With trends for all 182 of Gujarat&#39;s Assembly seats available, the BJP is ahead in 108 seats - down seven from the last assembly elections but still enough to form a government with a comfortable majority should these leads convert to results.

Mevani had rubbished exit poll results which gave the BJP between 105-120 seats and said "the BJP will definitely lose".

Jignesh Mevani, the independent candidate from Vadgam, has defeated his nearest rival, BJP's Vijaybhai Harkabhai Chakravarti. The Congress did not field a candidate against the 35-year-old Dalit leader, who was also backed by Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Mevani had rubbished exit poll results which gave the BJP between 105-120 seats and said "the BJP will definitely lose". He had also drawn flak after he suggested that Prime Minister Narendra Modi eats mushrooms worth four lakh rupees a day, imported from Taiwan, that have made him fairer. Vadgam is considered a safe seat for the Congress - it is a reserved constituency Scheduled Caste candidates with a substantial Muslim population. The Congress party's other big hope, OBC leader Alpesh Thakor, won the electoral battle against BJP rival Lavingji Thakor from Radhanpur in Patan district. Lavinji was a Congressman who crossed over to the BJP upset at being denied a ticket. Thakor's father Khidaji had been a BJP worker who parted ways with the party in the mid-1990s when Shankarsinh Vaghela split with the BJP. The 40-year-old junior Thakor is seen as an influential leader of the OBC community who rose to fame through statewide de-addictionn campaigns. Also Read - Opinion: Congress is leading in Patidar districts. Why? Over half of Gujarat's population are OBCs and Dalits. Both Thakor and Mevani were billed as Rahul Gandhi's deputies in Gujarat and slated to deliver the Dalit and OBC (Other Backward Caste) votes. In conjunction with Hardik Patel, who was swinging the BJP's traditional vote bank in the Patel community, the Alpesh-Jignesh-Hardik triumvirate was supposed to do all then heavy lifting at the Congress party's behest. Of the 39 seats with a high percentage of Patel voters, Congress seems to have polled over 54% of the votes but that wasn't enough in the final tally. The anti-BJP consolidation amongst the Patels and the consolidation of the OBC-Dalit votebank hasn't happened the way the Congress would have hoped. While party has recovered remarkably after the smarting it received in 2014, not winning a single Lok Sabha seat from the state, and has improved significantly on its 2012 Assembly election tally of 61, it still hasn't proved enough to wrest power from the Bharatiya Janata Party. With trends for all 182 of Gujarat's Assembly seats available, the BJP is ahead in 108 seats - down seven from the last assembly elections but still enough to form a government with a comfortable majority should these leads convert to results.

Gujarat assembly elections 2017: Alpesh Thakor and Jignesh Mevani win but what has then Congress gained?

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gujarat-elections-2017-live-results-27014" target="_blank">The BJP today appeared to be on its way to retain power in Gujarat</a>, with trends from 175 out of 182 Assembly seats giving it a lead in 100 seats while the Congress was following with 70.

Here are some of the reactions on BJP&#39;s performance in Gujarat assembly elections:

Muralidhar Rao (BJP): &quot;In Gujarat winning again after 22 years is real achievement. We will form the government with full majority. This is&nbsp; Modi ji record of forming government since 22 years in Gujarat.&quot;

Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena): &quot;I would like to congratulate BJP, Rahul Gandhi and Hardik Patel. In this fight, Congress has given a tough competition and Hardik Patel has also given competition and they are also standing in front of a crest which was there of the BJP. BJP will form govt in Gujarat, that is the picture of the trends. One thing is clear the Gujarat that showed a way of victory for BJP in the country, now that Gujarat&#39;s mood is country&#39;s mood.&quot;

Rajnath Singh (Home Minister): &quot;BJP will form government in both Himachal and Gujarat with clear majority. The result is as per our expectations. BJP is leading in both the states. BJP will form a government with clear majority in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.&quot;

Ashok Gehlot (Congress): &quot;These are early trends. It is difficult to say till all rounds of voting is not completed. Congress talked about issues but BJP did zero. BJP has only provoked emotions.&quot;

Nitinbhai Patel (BJP): &quot;Ultimately BJP is going to register victory, contrary to early trends BJP is leading almost everywhere now.&quot;

Ashok Gehlot (Congress): &quot;The way the Congress campaigned and the way Rahul Gandhi did bus trips, we put up a very nice campaign. Whatever the results, the country will see this as the Congress&#39; victory.&quot;

&nbsp;

The BJP today appeared to be on its way to retain power in Gujarat, with trends from 175 out of 182 Assembly seats giving it a lead in 100 seats while the Congress was following with 70.

The BJP today appeared to be on its way to retain power in Gujarat, with trends from 175 out of 182 Assembly seats giving it a lead in 100 seats while the Congress was following with 70. Here are some of the reactions on BJP's performance in Gujarat assembly elections: Muralidhar Rao (BJP): "In Gujarat winning again after 22 years is real achievement. We will form the government with full majority. This is Modi ji record of forming government since 22 years in Gujarat." Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena): "I would like to congratulate BJP, Rahul Gandhi and Hardik Patel. In this fight, Congress has given a tough competition and Hardik Patel has also given competition and they are also standing in front of a crest which was there of the BJP. BJP will form govt in Gujarat, that is the picture of the trends. One thing is clear the Gujarat that showed a way of victory for BJP in the country, now that Gujarat's mood is country's mood." Rajnath Singh (Home Minister): "BJP will form government in both Himachal and Gujarat with clear majority. The result is as per our expectations. BJP is leading in both the states. BJP will form a government with clear majority in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh." Ashok Gehlot (Congress): "These are early trends. It is difficult to say till all rounds of voting is not completed. Congress talked about issues but BJP did zero. BJP has only provoked emotions." Nitinbhai Patel (BJP): "Ultimately BJP is going to register victory, contrary to early trends BJP is leading almost everywhere now." Ashok Gehlot (Congress): "The way the Congress campaigned and the way Rahul Gandhi did bus trips, we put up a very nice campaign. Whatever the results, the country will see this as the Congress' victory."

'Gujarat's mood is country's mood':  Who said what on Gujarat elections results

As the BJP appeared to be on its way to retain power in Gujarat, senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot said on Monday that he saw the results as a &quot;victory&quot; for the party due to the response its chief Rahul Gandhi&#39;s campaign got from the people.

Gehlot, the Congress election in-charge for Gujarat, said Gandhi ran a nice campaign in the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Trends from 181 seats in the state, gave the BJP <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gujarats-mood-is-countrys-mood-who-said-what-on-gujarat-elections-results-27042">a lead in over a 100 seats</a> while the Congress was following with 69. The simple majority mark in the 182-member Assembly is 92.

The Congress, however, appears to be on its way to improve its 2012 tally.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gujarat-elections-2017-live-results-27014">Track live updates here</a>

&quot;The way the Congress campaigned and the way Rahul Gandhi did bus trips, we put up a very nice campaign. Whatever the results, the country will see this as the Congress&#39; victory,&quot; Gehlot said.

&quot;Through the campaigning and manifesto, we have been successful in reflecting the feelings of the people of Gujarat and we believe we have been successful in that,&quot; he said.

To a question, Gehlot said the saffron party tried to turn the direction of the campaign by raising the &#39;son of the soil&#39; issue.

&quot;The BJP tried to turn the campaign in another direction by its &#39;son of the soil&#39; comments and saying that he (Modi) is a prime minister from Gujarat. We have given a very nice message to the people of Gujarat,&quot; he said.

He said it is not the culture of the Congress to make such comments.

&quot;Rahulji (Gandhi) had said that Congress people will not make such commments against the prime minister. The manner in which the prime minister made comments against Manmohan Singhji, Soniaji and Rahulji, we did not want to respond to them in the same language,&quot; he said.

Gehlot, the Congress election in-charge for Gujarat, said Gandhi ran a nice campaign in the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

As the BJP appeared to be on its way to retain power in Gujarat, senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot said on Monday that he saw the results as a "victory" for the party due to the response its chief Rahul Gandhi's campaign got from the people. Gehlot, the Congress election in-charge for Gujarat, said Gandhi ran a nice campaign in the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Trends from 181 seats in the state, gave the BJP a lead in over a 100 seats while the Congress was following with 69. The simple majority mark in the 182-member Assembly is 92. The Congress, however, appears to be on its way to improve its 2012 tally. Track live updates here "The way the Congress campaigned and the way Rahul Gandhi did bus trips, we put up a very nice campaign. Whatever the results, the country will see this as the Congress' victory," Gehlot said. "Through the campaigning and manifesto, we have been successful in reflecting the feelings of the people of Gujarat and we believe we have been successful in that," he said. To a question, Gehlot said the saffron party tried to turn the direction of the campaign by raising the 'son of the soil' issue. "The BJP tried to turn the campaign in another direction by its 'son of the soil' comments and saying that he (Modi) is a prime minister from Gujarat. We have given a very nice message to the people of Gujarat," he said. He said it is not the culture of the Congress to make such comments. "Rahulji (Gandhi) had said that Congress people will not make such commments against the prime minister. The manner in which the prime minister made comments against Manmohan Singhji, Soniaji and Rahulji, we did not want to respond to them in the same language," he said.

Rahul Gandhi put up nice campaign, Gujarat results a win for Congress: Ashok Gehlot

The Gujarat elections are proving to be closer than pollsters had predicted. <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gujarat-elections-2017-live-results-27014" target="_blank">If the early leads convert into results, the Congress is doing much better than expected.</a> All pollsters had predicted a comfortable win for the BJP and the trends are proving pollsters wrong. Gujarat has been the BJP&rsquo;s laboratory and the party has held the state since 1995.

Today&rsquo;s results notwithstanding, the party will have to go back to the drawing board to see what has resulted in this massive dent in their support base in the state.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Here are the noteworthy points on what has been a difficult morning for the BJP:&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
1. Counting of votes began at 8 in the morning and an hour later with trends for 180 of the 182 constituencies in, the BJP seems to be leading but only just. The BJP is leading in just 90 seats whereas the Congress is ahead in 88.

&nbsp; 
2. A party needs 92 seats in the 182-seat Gujarat assembly to form the government. When the campaign was launched in November, BJP president Amit Shah had claimed the&nbsp;party would win 150 seats. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said,&rdquo;To enthuse the workers, we have to set our sights high. It is unheard of in Indian democracy that after 23 years in power, there isn&rsquo;t an anti-incumbency wave against a party. We&rsquo;re still ahead in Gujarat.&rdquo;

3. In the 2012 assembly elections in Gujarat, the Congress had 61 seats and was a distant second to the BJP which had won 115. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had won all the 26 parliamentary seats in the state.&nbsp;

 
4. Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Ruphani is trailing his Congress rival Indranil Rajguru. In the Prime Minister&rsquo;s constituency of Maninagar, BJP&rsquo;s Suresh Patel is leading Congress&rsquo;s Shweta Bhrambhatt. In Mahatma Gandhi&rsquo;s birthplace Porbandar, Congress&rsquo;s Arjun Modhvadhiya is trailing his BJP rival Babubhai Bokhiriya. Top BJP leaders like Jaynarayan Vyas and deputy CM Nitin Patel are also trailing.&nbsp;

5. Most exit polls have indicated that the Bharatiya Janata Party may do as well as it did in the 2012 Assembly elections where it won 115 seats. The results will have ramifications on the 2019 Lok Sabha elections &mdash; this would be&nbsp;a big feather in the cap of Rahul Gandhi and set the tone for his Congress presidency.&nbsp;

6. Rahul Gandhi traversed a distance of 27,000 kilometres in the state, addressing 30 rallies in the state a visiting over two dozen temples and went toe-to-toe with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the campaign trail.

 
7. A win would give the BJP a record fifth term in Gujarat - a state that it has held since 1995. But if the trends convert to results, it would prove the fallibility of PM Modi as Neta no 1 in Gujarat.

8. In Himachal Pradesh, trends indicate its a close race between the Congress and the BJP with the BJP ahead in 33 of the 55 seats for which trends are available. The Congress is ahead in 19 and Chief Minister Veerbhadra Singh, who was embattled with graft charges, is doing better than expected.&nbsp;

9. The state has 68 assembly seats and most pollsters predicted a comfortable victory for the BJP, giving the party 45-50 seats. That Congress wipeout doesn&rsquo;t seem to be happening.&nbsp;

10. Just 10 days before the elections the BJP, somewhat uncharacteristically, announced former Chief Minister &nbsp;Prem Kumar Dhumal&rsquo;s name for the top job &mdash; and it seems he just may get another term in the state. In what has been a difficult morning, Dhumal is trailing his Congress rival Rajinder Rana in Sujanpur by about 500 votes.

Gujarat has been the BJP?s laboratory and the party has held the state since 1995.

The Gujarat elections are proving to be closer than pollsters had predicted. If the early leads convert into results, the Congress is doing much better than expected. All pollsters had predicted a comfortable win for the BJP and the trends are proving pollsters wrong. Gujarat has been the BJP’s laboratory and the party has held the state since 1995. Today’s results notwithstanding, the party will have to go back to the drawing board to see what has resulted in this massive dent in their support base in the state. Here are the noteworthy points on what has been a difficult morning for the BJP: 1. Counting of votes began at 8 in the morning and an hour later with trends for 180 of the 182 constituencies in, the BJP seems to be leading but only just. The BJP is leading in just 90 seats whereas the Congress is ahead in 88. 2. A party needs 92 seats in the 182-seat Gujarat assembly to form the government. When the campaign was launched in November, BJP president Amit Shah had claimed the party would win 150 seats. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said,”To enthuse the workers, we have to set our sights high. It is unheard of in Indian democracy that after 23 years in power, there isn’t an anti-incumbency wave against a party. We’re still ahead in Gujarat.” 3. In the 2012 assembly elections in Gujarat, the Congress had 61 seats and was a distant second to the BJP which had won 115. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had won all the 26 parliamentary seats in the state. 4. Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Ruphani is trailing his Congress rival Indranil Rajguru. In the Prime Minister’s constituency of Maninagar, BJP’s Suresh Patel is leading Congress’s Shweta Bhrambhatt. In Mahatma Gandhi’s birthplace Porbandar, Congress’s Arjun Modhvadhiya is trailing his BJP rival Babubhai Bokhiriya. Top BJP leaders like Jaynarayan Vyas and deputy CM Nitin Patel are also trailing. 5. Most exit polls have indicated that the Bharatiya Janata Party may do as well as it did in the 2012 Assembly elections where it won 115 seats. The results will have ramifications on the 2019 Lok Sabha elections — this would be a big feather in the cap of Rahul Gandhi and set the tone for his Congress presidency. 6. Rahul Gandhi traversed a distance of 27,000 kilometres in the state, addressing 30 rallies in the state a visiting over two dozen temples and went toe-to-toe with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the campaign trail. 7. A win would give the BJP a record fifth term in Gujarat - a state that it has held since 1995. But if the trends convert to results, it would prove the fallibility of PM Modi as Neta no 1 in Gujarat. 8. In Himachal Pradesh, trends indicate its a close race between the Congress and the BJP with the BJP ahead in 33 of the 55 seats for which trends are available. The Congress is ahead in 19 and Chief Minister Veerbhadra Singh, who was embattled with graft charges, is doing better than expected. 9. The state has 68 assembly seats and most pollsters predicted a comfortable victory for the BJP, giving the party 45-50 seats. That Congress wipeout doesn’t seem to be happening. 10. Just 10 days before the elections the BJP, somewhat uncharacteristically, announced former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal’s name for the top job — and it seems he just may get another term in the state. In what has been a difficult morning, Dhumal is trailing his Congress rival Rajinder Rana in Sujanpur by about 500 votes.

Assembly elections 2017: Elections too close to call but Congress big winner in Gujarat

Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Monday that the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gujarat-elections-2017-live-results-27014" target="_blank">BJP will form </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gujarat-elections-2017-live-results-27014" target="_blank">government</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gujarat-elections-2017-live-results-27014" target="_blank"> in Gujarat as well as Himachal Pradesh.</a> The BJP today appeared to be on its way to retain power in Gujarat, with trends from 175 out of 182 Assembly seats giving it a lead in 100 seats while the Congress was following with 70.

&quot;We will form government in both Himachal and Gujarat with clear majority,&quot; Singh said as election leads started trickling in.

&quot;The result is as per our expectations. BJP is leading in both the states. BJP will form a government with clear majority in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh,&quot; the Home Minister added.

To form a government in the state, a party or a coalition needs at least 92 seats in the 182-member Assembly.

The elections for 182-seat Assembly were held on December 9 and 14, after an acrimonious campaign, which was dominated by a face-off between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

In the 2012 elections, the BJP had won 115 seats while the Congress emerged victorious on 61 seats.

The BJP has been in power in the state since 1995, winning consecutive elections in the home state of Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah.

(With inputs from PTI)

"The result is as per our expectations. BJP is leading in both the states. BJP will form a government with clear majority in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh," the Home Minister said.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Monday that the BJP will form government in Gujarat as well as Himachal Pradesh. The BJP today appeared to be on its way to retain power in Gujarat, with trends from 175 out of 182 Assembly seats giving it a lead in 100 seats while the Congress was following with 70. "We will form government in both Himachal and Gujarat with clear majority," Singh said as election leads started trickling in. "The result is as per our expectations. BJP is leading in both the states. BJP will form a government with clear majority in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh," the Home Minister added. To form a government in the state, a party or a coalition needs at least 92 seats in the 182-member Assembly. The elections for 182-seat Assembly were held on December 9 and 14, after an acrimonious campaign, which was dominated by a face-off between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi. In the 2012 elections, the BJP had won 115 seats while the Congress emerged victorious on 61 seats. The BJP has been in power in the state since 1995, winning consecutive elections in the home state of Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah. (With inputs from PTI)

BJP will form government in Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh: Home Minister Rajnath Singh

The predictions made by exit polls for Gujarat seem to be a little off the mark with BJP and Congress locked in a close battle. Most of the pollsters had given BJP anywhere between 100-120 seats, and that might happen if the party is able to convert early leads into results, but Congress is emerging as the real winner.

If the early leads convert into results, the Congress is doing much better than expected. All pollsters had predicted a comfortable win for the BJP and the trends are proving pollsters wrong. Gujarat has been the BJP&#39;s laboratory and the party has held the state from 1995. Today&#39;s results not withstanding, the party will have to go back to the drawing board to see what has resulted in this massive dent in their support base in the state.

A party needs 92 seats in the 182-seat Gujarat assembly to form the government. When the campaign was launched in November, BJP president Amit Shah had claimed then party would win 150 seats. But that seems to be a very difficult target the achieve now.

In the 2012 assembly elections in Gujarat, the Congress had 61 seats and was a distant second to the BJP which had won 115. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had won all the 26 parliamentary seats in the state.

In Himachal Pradesh, trends indicate it&#39;s a close race between the Congress and the BJP with the BJP ahead in 33 of the 55 seats for which trends are available. The Congress is ahead in 19 and Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, who was embattled with graft charges, is doing better that expected.

The state has 68 assembly seats and most pollsters predicted a comfortable victory for the BJP, giving the party 45-50 seats. That Congress wipeout doesn&#39;t seem to be happening.

Every pollster had predicted a BJP win in Himachal Pradesh. The India Today-Axis poll gave BJP 47-55 seats out of a total of 68. The ruling Congress, they said, was expected to slump to anywhere between 13-20 seats.

Today&#39;s Chanakya, another prominent pollster, had predicted 55 seats for the BJP in Himachal Pradesh and 13 for Congress.

The predictions made by exit polls for Gujarat seem to be a little off the mark with BJP and Congress locked in a close battle.

The predictions made by exit polls for Gujarat seem to be a little off the mark with BJP and Congress locked in a close battle. Most of the pollsters had given BJP anywhere between 100-120 seats, and that might happen if the party is able to convert early leads into results, but Congress is emerging as the real winner. If the early leads convert into results, the Congress is doing much better than expected. All pollsters had predicted a comfortable win for the BJP and the trends are proving pollsters wrong. Gujarat has been the BJP's laboratory and the party has held the state from 1995. Today's results not withstanding, the party will have to go back to the drawing board to see what has resulted in this massive dent in their support base in the state. A party needs 92 seats in the 182-seat Gujarat assembly to form the government. When the campaign was launched in November, BJP president Amit Shah had claimed then party would win 150 seats. But that seems to be a very difficult target the achieve now. In the 2012 assembly elections in Gujarat, the Congress had 61 seats and was a distant second to the BJP which had won 115. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had won all the 26 parliamentary seats in the state. In Himachal Pradesh, trends indicate it's a close race between the Congress and the BJP with the BJP ahead in 33 of the 55 seats for which trends are available. The Congress is ahead in 19 and Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, who was embattled with graft charges, is doing better that expected. The state has 68 assembly seats and most pollsters predicted a comfortable victory for the BJP, giving the party 45-50 seats. That Congress wipeout doesn't seem to be happening. Every pollster had predicted a BJP win in Himachal Pradesh. The India Today-Axis poll gave BJP 47-55 seats out of a total of 68. The ruling Congress, they said, was expected to slump to anywhere between 13-20 seats. Today's Chanakya, another prominent pollster, had predicted 55 seats for the BJP in Himachal Pradesh and 13 for Congress.

Congress makes huge gains in Gujarat, Himachal, defies pollsters

Gujarat chief minister <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gujarat-elections-2017-live-results-27014">Vijay Rupani has begun to trail&nbsp;in his constituency</a> from Rajkot(West) with the Congress&#39;s Indranil Rajyaguru leading in early counting phase with the BJP and Congress in a close fight as early poll results have begun to come in&nbsp;the assembly elections.

The Congress and BJP are going neck-to-neck in north Gujarat, with both parties leading in eight seats respectively.

The Congress is currently leading in 88 seats, with the BJP trailing with&nbsp;84 seats, Others(Independents) are leading in 2 seats.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GujaratElection2017?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GujaratElection2017</a> Postal ballot counting underway; visuals from a counting center in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Vadodara?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Vadodara</a> <a href="https://t.co/O1ZP9JuLSk">pic.twitter.com/O1ZP9JuLSk</a>
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The BJP which is expected to do well in the urban seats is up against Rahul Gandhi&#39;s Congress and ally Hardik Patel&#39;s PAAS which has put up several Independent candidates.

BJP has taken a big lead in the Gujarat elections ahead in 68 seats with the Congress leading in 38 seats

Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani has begun to trail in his constituency from Rajkot(West) with the Congress's Indranil Rajyaguru leading in early counting phase with the BJP and Congress in a close fight as early poll results have begun to come in the assembly elections. The Congress and BJP are going neck-to-neck in north Gujarat, with both parties leading in eight seats respectively. The Congress is currently leading in 88 seats, with the BJP trailing with 84 seats, Others(Independents) are leading in 2 seats. #GujaratElection2017 Postal ballot counting underway; visuals from a counting center in #Vadodara pic.twitter.com/O1ZP9JuLSk — ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2017 × The BJP which is expected to do well in the urban seats is up against Rahul Gandhi's Congress and ally Hardik Patel's PAAS which has put up several Independent candidates.

Gujarat election results: Congress, BJP in close fight; CM Rupani trails from Rajkot

Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP leader Vijay Rupani is trailing behind Congress candidate Indranil Rajyaguru from Rajkot West, as per the initial trends.

Rajyaguru secured 1,258 votes while Rupani got 491 votes after the end of first round of counting, as per election officials at the counting centre.

Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP leader Vijay Rupani is trailing behind Congress candidate Indranil Rajyaguru from Rajkot West, as per the initial trends.

Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP leader Vijay Rupani is trailing behind Congress candidate Indranil Rajyaguru from Rajkot West, as per the initial trends. Rajyaguru secured 1,258 votes while Rupani got 491 votes after the end of first round of counting, as per election officials at the counting centre.

Gujarat election results: Chief Minister Vijay Rupani trails behind Congress in Rajkot West

Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s mother Hiraba on Thursday cast her vote at a poll booth located at Aryabhatt High School in Gandhinagar.

She was accompanied by her younger son Pankaj Modi and other family members.

After casting her vote, the prime minister&#39;s mother, who is in her 90s, showed her inked finger to mediapersons outside the poll booth.

&quot;May God bless Gujarat,&quot; she told the reporters while emerging out of the poll booth.

She was among the early voters, who also included former chief minister Anandiben Patel.

Patel, who is not contesting the election, cast her vote at a polling booth in Ahmedabad&#39;s Ghatlodia Assembly constituency, from where she was an MLA.

This time, the BJP has fielded Bhupendra Patel from the seat, who is pitted against Congress&#39; Shashikant Patel.

&quot;I am sure that BJP will achieve the target it has set for itself and the party will again form the government. Our candidate will get more votes than what I had got, and the Patidar factor is not going to affect us,&quot; Patel told reporters after casting her vote.

The voting for the second and final phase of Gujarat assembly elections is underway today on 93 seats of North and Central Gujarat.

After an acrimonious campaign, around 2.22 crore voters would be exercising their franchise today to choose between the two main contenders, the BJP and the Congress.

A total of 851 candidates are in fray for the second phase.

The first phase of voting for the 182-member House, held on December 9, covered 89 seats.

The election is being seen as a &quot;prestige battle&quot; for Prime Minister Modi and a litmus test for the leadership of Congress president-elect Rahul Gandhi.

In the 2012 assembly polls, the BJP had won 115 seats, while the Congress bagged 61. The counting of votes will be taken up on December 18 .

She was among the early voters, who also included former chief minister Anandiben Patel.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mother Hiraba on Thursday cast her vote at a poll booth located at Aryabhatt High School in Gandhinagar. She was accompanied by her younger son Pankaj Modi and other family members. After casting her vote, the prime minister's mother, who is in her 90s, showed her inked finger to mediapersons outside the poll booth. "May God bless Gujarat," she told the reporters while emerging out of the poll booth. She was among the early voters, who also included former chief minister Anandiben Patel. Patel, who is not contesting the election, cast her vote at a polling booth in Ahmedabad's Ghatlodia Assembly constituency, from where she was an MLA. This time, the BJP has fielded Bhupendra Patel from the seat, who is pitted against Congress' Shashikant Patel. "I am sure that BJP will achieve the target it has set for itself and the party will again form the government. Our candidate will get more votes than what I had got, and the Patidar factor is not going to affect us," Patel told reporters after casting her vote. The voting for the second and final phase of Gujarat assembly elections is underway today on 93 seats of North and Central Gujarat. After an acrimonious campaign, around 2.22 crore voters would be exercising their franchise today to choose between the two main contenders, the BJP and the Congress. A total of 851 candidates are in fray for the second phase. The first phase of voting for the 182-member House, held on December 9, covered 89 seats. The election is being seen as a "prestige battle" for Prime Minister Modi and a litmus test for the leadership of Congress president-elect Rahul Gandhi. In the 2012 assembly polls, the BJP had won 115 seats, while the Congress bagged 61. The counting of votes will be taken up on December 18 .

May god bless Gujarat, says PM Modi's mother after casting vote

Campaigning has ended, and every political party is putting all its might before the second and final phase of assembly election in Gujarat.

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ministers have expressed hope that his party will win these elections, Rahul Gandhi, the opponent, has hoped for <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gujarat-election-results-will-be-zabardast-says-rahul-26578">&#39;zabardast&#39; results</a> for his Congress.

Speaking to Zee Kalak, Zee media group&#39;s Gujarati channel, Rahul said this election is about truth.

&quot;This election will be fought on truth - the truth of note ban, &#39;Gabbar Singh Tax&#39; (in reference to GST) etc. You go to Surat, Ahmedabad or any other place in Gujarat, all the small businessmen are saying the Goods and Services Tax (GST) has destroyed them,&quot; he said.

This election is not about Modi, not about me but about the people of Gujarat, he added.

Attacking PM Modi and his government, Rahul said that all those with black money converted it to white after GST. &quot;Even BJP workers in Gujarat are saying this time, the road is tough,&quot; Rahul said.

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Campaigning has ended, and every political party is putting all its might before the second and final phase of assembly election in Gujarat. (WION Web Team)
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When asked about his or Congress&#39; vision for Gujarat, Rahul said, &quot;Gujarat&#39;s vision will be formed by its electorate. It will be formed on the basis of what the people of Gujarat want. I will help in its formulation, but Gujarat&#39;s vision will be based on the wishes of people.&quot;

&quot;The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-tells-modi-will-beat-you-in-gujarat-with-love-without-anger-26397">love and affection</a> Gujarat gave me in these three-four months has won my heart. I am at the sevice of Gujarat,&quot; Rahul said.

After the first round of voting on December 9 for 89 seats, the remaining 93 constituencies spread across 14 districts of northern and central Gujarat will see balloting on Thursday to pick a new state assembly.

A total of 851 candidates are in the fray, with the BJP determined to continue its 22-year-long rule and the Congress equally confident of coming to power. Over two crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-takes-over-as-congress-president-but-faces-greater-challenges-than-mother-sonia-gandhi-26480">Also read: Rahul takes over as Congress president, but faces greater challenges than mother Sonia Gandhi</a>

The stakes are high for both BJP and Congress in the Gujarat election. This is the first assembly election in Gujarat since PM Modi left the state after his 13-year rule. It is also crucial for Rahul, who was recently elected Congress president.

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ministers have expressed hope that his party will win these elections, Rahul Gandhi, the opponent, has hoped for a 'zabardast' results for his Congress.

Campaigning has ended, and every political party is putting all its might before the second and final phase of assembly election in Gujarat. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ministers have expressed hope that his party will win these elections, Rahul Gandhi, the opponent, has hoped for 'zabardast' results for his Congress. Speaking to Zee Kalak, Zee media group's Gujarati channel, Rahul said this election is about truth. "This election will be fought on truth - the truth of note ban, 'Gabbar Singh Tax' (in reference to GST) etc. You go to Surat, Ahmedabad or any other place in Gujarat, all the small businessmen are saying the Goods and Services Tax (GST) has destroyed them," he said. This election is not about Modi, not about me but about the people of Gujarat, he added. Attacking PM Modi and his government, Rahul said that all those with black money converted it to white after GST. "Even BJP workers in Gujarat are saying this time, the road is tough," Rahul said. Campaigning has ended, and every political party is putting all its might before the second and final phase of assembly election in Gujarat. (WION Web Team) × When asked about his or Congress' vision for Gujarat, Rahul said, "Gujarat's vision will be formed by its electorate. It will be formed on the basis of what the people of Gujarat want. I will help in its formulation, but Gujarat's vision will be based on the wishes of people." "The love and affection Gujarat gave me in these three-four months has won my heart. I am at the sevice of Gujarat," Rahul said. After the first round of voting on December 9 for 89 seats, the remaining 93 constituencies spread across 14 districts of northern and central Gujarat will see balloting on Thursday to pick a new state assembly. A total of 851 candidates are in the fray, with the BJP determined to continue its 22-year-long rule and the Congress equally confident of coming to power. Over two crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise. Also read: Rahul takes over as Congress president, but faces greater challenges than mother Sonia Gandhi The stakes are high for both BJP and Congress in the Gujarat election. This is the first assembly election in Gujarat since PM Modi left the state after his 13-year rule. It is also crucial for Rahul, who was recently elected Congress president.

Gujarat assembly elections not about Narendra Modi or me, it's about people: Rahul Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi was elected Congress president earlier this week amid much fanfare from his party workers. Rahul will take over from his mother Sonia Gandhi, the longest serving Congress president in the history.

Rahul has his task cut out, and faces a huge challenge in the form of assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. Rahul has been campaigning aggressively in Gujarat against the BJP which has been ruling the state for 22 years.

Speaking on his new role, Rahul told Zee Kalak, Zee Media Group&#39;s Gujarati channel, &quot;I want to change the discourse which has turned very negative. The way Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about former PM Manmohan Singh, who has worked for the country for decades, is not acceptable. We have to change this discourse through love and harmony. And I will do that.&quot;

Targeting the former prime minister during an election rally, PM Modi alleged that Manmohan Singh had conspired with Pakistanis to defeat the BJP in Gujarat.

Outraged, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/no-one-can-lamely-question-my-public-service-manmohan-to-modi-on-pak-meddling-allegations-26463">Dr Singh issued a statement</a> saying he is &quot;deeply pained and anguished by the falsehood and canards being spread to score political points in a lost cause by none less than Prime Minister Narender Modi&quot;.

Modi also said that Aiyar, Manmohan Singh and former vice-president Hamid Ansari had met with the Pakistan high commissioner at a dinner in Delhi. And that the next day Aiyar had called him &quot;neech&quot;.

&quot;We <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/after-neech-jibe-on-pm-modi-congress-suspends-mani-shankar-aiyar-26159">expelled Mr Aiyar</a> from the party after that,&quot; Rahul said today saying that such language was unacceptable to him and the Congress. Rahul had earlier demanded apology from PM Modi for attacking Dr Singh and said that he won&#39;t indulge in personal attacks which the PM and BJP do daily.

Rahul also expressed confidence that his party will win elections in Gujarat saying the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gujarat-election-results-will-be-zabardast-says-rahul-26578">results will be &#39;zabardast&#39;</a>.

He also talked about the elections. &quot;This election will be fought on truth - the truth of note ban, &#39;Gabbar Singh Tax&#39; (in reference to GST) etc. You go to Surat, Ahmedabad or any other place in Gujarat, all the small businessmen are saying the Goods and Services Tax (GST) has destroyed them,&quot; Rahul told Zee Kalak.

This election is <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gujarat-assembly-election-not-about-narendra-modi-or-me-its-about-people-rahul-gandhi-26635">not about Modi, not about me</a> but about the people of Gujarat, he added.

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&nbsp;

Rahul has his task cut out, and faces a huge challenge in the form of assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. Rahul has been campaigning aggressively in Gujarat against the BJP which has been ruling the state for 22 years.

Rahul Gandhi was elected Congress president earlier this week amid much fanfare from his party workers. Rahul will take over from his mother Sonia Gandhi, the longest serving Congress president in the history. Rahul has his task cut out, and faces a huge challenge in the form of assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. Rahul has been campaigning aggressively in Gujarat against the BJP which has been ruling the state for 22 years. Speaking on his new role, Rahul told Zee Kalak, Zee Media Group's Gujarati channel, "I want to change the discourse which has turned very negative. The way Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about former PM Manmohan Singh, who has worked for the country for decades, is not acceptable. We have to change this discourse through love and harmony. And I will do that." Targeting the former prime minister during an election rally, PM Modi alleged that Manmohan Singh had conspired with Pakistanis to defeat the BJP in Gujarat. Outraged, Dr Singh issued a statement saying he is "deeply pained and anguished by the falsehood and canards being spread to score political points in a lost cause by none less than Prime Minister Narender Modi". Modi also said that Aiyar, Manmohan Singh and former vice-president Hamid Ansari had met with the Pakistan high commissioner at a dinner in Delhi. And that the next day Aiyar had called him "neech". "We expelled Mr Aiyar from the party after that," Rahul said today saying that such language was unacceptable to him and the Congress. Rahul had earlier demanded apology from PM Modi for attacking Dr Singh and said that he won't indulge in personal attacks which the PM and BJP do daily. Rahul also expressed confidence that his party will win elections in Gujarat saying the results will be 'zabardast'. He also talked about the elections. "This election will be fought on truth - the truth of note ban, 'Gabbar Singh Tax' (in reference to GST) etc. You go to Surat, Ahmedabad or any other place in Gujarat, all the small businessmen are saying the Goods and Services Tax (GST) has destroyed them," Rahul told Zee Kalak. This election is not about Modi, not about me but about the people of Gujarat, he added. Campaigning has ended, and every political party is putting all its might before the second and final phase of assembly election in Gujarat. (WION Web Team) ×

National discourse very negative, want to change that: Rahul Gandhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday urged the voters, particularly the youngsters, to cast their votes in the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gujarat-elections-live-first-phase-of-polling-begins-26288" target="_blank"> first phase of Gujarat assembly elections</a>.

The polling began at 8 am and will continue till 5 in the evening.

&quot;Phase 1 of Gujarat polls begin. Urging all those voting today to turnout in record numbers and vote. I particularly call upon youngsters to exercise their franchise,&quot; he said in a tweet.

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Phase 1 of Gujarat polls begin. Urging all those voting today to turnout in record numbers and vote. I particularly call upon youngsters to exercise their franchise.
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/939296450525171712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The first phase of polling will be held in 89 assembly constituencies of Saurashtra and South Gujarat regions with 977 candidates in the fray.

About 2.12 crore voters, comprising 1,11,05,933 men and 1,01,25,472 women, are expected to exercise their franchise.

Abdasa assembly seat in Kachchh district is the largest constituency, which is spread over 6,278 sq km while Karanj assembly seat in Surat district is the smallest constituency, which is spread over only 4 sq km.

The second phase will be held on December 14 for 93 assembly constituencies while counting of the votes will be done on December 18.

The crucial elections are being seen as prestige battle for BJP, which has been ruling the state for last 22 years, and a litmus test for the Congress.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday urged the voters, particularly the youngsters, to cast their votes in the first phase of Gujarat assembly elections

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday urged the voters, particularly the youngsters, to cast their votes in the first phase of Gujarat assembly elections. The polling began at 8 am and will continue till 5 in the evening. "Phase 1 of Gujarat polls begin. Urging all those voting today to turnout in record numbers and vote. I particularly call upon youngsters to exercise their franchise," he said in a tweet. Phase 1 of Gujarat polls begin. Urging all those voting today to turnout in record numbers and vote. I particularly call upon youngsters to exercise their franchise. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 9, 2017 × The first phase of polling will be held in 89 assembly constituencies of Saurashtra and South Gujarat regions with 977 candidates in the fray. About 2.12 crore voters, comprising 1,11,05,933 men and 1,01,25,472 women, are expected to exercise their franchise. Abdasa assembly seat in Kachchh district is the largest constituency, which is spread over 6,278 sq km while Karanj assembly seat in Surat district is the smallest constituency, which is spread over only 4 sq km. The second phase will be held on December 14 for 93 assembly constituencies while counting of the votes will be done on December 18. The crucial elections are being seen as prestige battle for BJP, which has been ruling the state for last 22 years, and a litmus test for the Congress.

Gujarat polls: PM Modi urges voters to exercise their franchise

Tens of thousands of people <a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/gujaratround1-surfers-share-selfies-after-casting-vote-602">came out to vote</a> in the first stage of assembly elections in Gujarat on Saturday, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi faces his toughest electoral test since coming to power with a landslide victory in 2014.

Modi has himself led the campaign to ensure that his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) retains power in his home state, as a combined opposition mounted the biggest challenge ahead of the general election in 2019.

However, some of the key BJP candidates, including Chief Minister Vijay Rupani who is himself a candidate in this phase from Rajkot have expressed confidence that BJP will emerge victorious in this electoral battle.

&quot;The BJP will score a historic win. There will be three reasons of BJP&#39;s victory. The work of BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s leadership and his popularity and the way Congress insulted Modi. People of Gujarat will take revenge of this,&quot; Union minister <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-will-score-a-historic-win-ravi-shankar-prasad-26287">Ravi Shankar Prasad</a> said on Saturday.

Voters started turning up early in the morning and some had to wait for about 15 minutes due to a malfunction in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

In the first few hours, more than 20 per cent of voters cast their ballot, according to state government officials.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gujarat-elections-live-first-phase-of-polling-begins-26288">Track Live Updates Here</a>

Votes from the election will be counted on December 18 and the results announced the same day.

In the first stage of state assembly elections on Saturday, 977 candidates are trying their luck in 89 constituencies spread across 19 districts of Gujarat, according to the Election Commission.

More than 21 million people will vote during the first stage of the election on Saturday.

Modi has thrown himself into the campaign, addressing dozens of rallies over the past month, saying he alone could deliver on development.

Gujarati businesses, which form the core of Modi&#39;s support base, have complained that the Goods and Services Tax introduced this year and late last year&#39;s shock move to abolish 500 and 1,000 rupee bank notes, accounting for 86 per cent of cash in circulation, aggravated already tough economic conditions.

Modi has himself led the campaign to ensure that his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) retains power in his home state, as a combined opposition mounted the biggest challenge ahead of the general election in 2019.

Tens of thousands of people came out to vote in the first stage of assembly elections in Gujarat on Saturday, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi faces his toughest electoral test since coming to power with a landslide victory in 2014. Modi has himself led the campaign to ensure that his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) retains power in his home state, as a combined opposition mounted the biggest challenge ahead of the general election in 2019. However, some of the key BJP candidates, including Chief Minister Vijay Rupani who is himself a candidate in this phase from Rajkot have expressed confidence that BJP will emerge victorious in this electoral battle. "The BJP will score a historic win. There will be three reasons of BJP's victory. The work of BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and his popularity and the way Congress insulted Modi. People of Gujarat will take revenge of this," Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Saturday. Voters started turning up early in the morning and some had to wait for about 15 minutes due to a malfunction in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). In the first few hours, more than 20 per cent of voters cast their ballot, according to state government officials. Track Live Updates Here Votes from the election will be counted on December 18 and the results announced the same day. In the first stage of state assembly elections on Saturday, 977 candidates are trying their luck in 89 constituencies spread across 19 districts of Gujarat, according to the Election Commission. More than 21 million people will vote during the first stage of the election on Saturday. Modi has thrown himself into the campaign, addressing dozens of rallies over the past month, saying he alone could deliver on development. Gujarati businesses, which form the core of Modi's support base, have complained that the Goods and Services Tax introduced this year and late last year's shock move to abolish 500 and 1,000 rupee bank notes, accounting for 86 per cent of cash in circulation, aggravated already tough economic conditions.

Gujarat votes in first stage of election seen as acid test for Modi

Voting for the first phase of the crucial Gujarat assembly polls began today on 89 seats of Saurashtra and South Gujarat regions.

After a campaign that often turned vituperative, around 2.12 crore voters would be exercising their franchise in Modi&#39;s home state to choose between the ruling BJP and the Congress.

A total of 977 candidates are in fray for the first phase polls.

Prominent candidates for today&#39;s battle include Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who is contesting from Rajkot (West), and Congress&#39; Shaktisinh Gohil (Mandvi) and Paresh Dhanani (Amreli).

The election is viewed as a prestige battle for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a litmus test for the leadership of soon-to-be Congress chief Rahul Gandhi.

The campaign shaped up as a duel between Modi and Gandhi and often turned personal.

The poll narrative kept changing with issues such as the Ayodhya title suit, Gandhi&#39;s imminent elevation as Congress president and his visits to temples being raised by BJP leaders.

Gandhi emerged as the Congress&#39; pivot to take on the might of the prime minister on his home turf.

While Modi addressed about 15 rallies, Gandhi spent more than seven days in Saurashtra and south Gujarat, addressing a number of meetings.

A total of 977 candidates are in fray for the first phase polls

Voting for the first phase of the crucial Gujarat assembly polls began today on 89 seats of Saurashtra and South Gujarat regions. After a campaign that often turned vituperative, around 2.12 crore voters would be exercising their franchise in Modi's home state to choose between the ruling BJP and the Congress. A total of 977 candidates are in fray for the first phase polls. Prominent candidates for today's battle include Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who is contesting from Rajkot (West), and Congress' Shaktisinh Gohil (Mandvi) and Paresh Dhanani (Amreli). The election is viewed as a prestige battle for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a litmus test for the leadership of soon-to-be Congress chief Rahul Gandhi. The campaign shaped up as a duel between Modi and Gandhi and often turned personal. The poll narrative kept changing with issues such as the Ayodhya title suit, Gandhi's imminent elevation as Congress president and his visits to temples being raised by BJP leaders. Gandhi emerged as the Congress' pivot to take on the might of the prime minister on his home turf. While Modi addressed about 15 rallies, Gandhi spent more than seven days in Saurashtra and south Gujarat, addressing a number of meetings.

Voting begins for first phase of Gujarat assembly elections

The voting for first phase of election in Gujarat will take place on Saturday on 89 seats of Saurashtra and South Gujarat regions with 977 candidates in the fray.

Here are the key candidates to look out for in this phase:

Vijay Rupani: The current chief minister of Gujarat is one of the frontrunners of assembly elections 2017. He was earlier the ex-chairman of Gujarat Tourism, four-times General Secretary of BJP Gujarat, and Speaker of Gujarat assembly. He is running for current elections from Rajkot West.

Indranil Rajguru: Gujarat&#39;s richest candidate, Rajguru from Congress is taking on Vijay Rupani from Rajkot West. The aggressive and powerful leader is currently an Member of Legislative Council (upper house) from Rajkot East.

Shaktisinh Gohil: Congress&#39; Shaktisinh Gohil is contesting election from Kutch district&#39;s Mandi region. The national spokesperson of All India Congress Committee has claimed to end BJP&#39;s 10-year-old fortress from Mandvi.

Paresh Dhanani: Currently an MLA of Amreli, Paresh Dhanani is again contesting from the same constituency. Very close to Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, Dhanani has accompanied him many times during his campaigns.

The voting for first phase of election in Gujarat will take place on Saturday on 89 seats of Saurashtra and South Gujarat regions with 977 candidates in the fray.

The voting for first phase of election in Gujarat will take place on Saturday on 89 seats of Saurashtra and South Gujarat regions with 977 candidates in the fray. Here are the key candidates to look out for in this phase: Vijay Rupani: The current chief minister of Gujarat is one of the frontrunners of assembly elections 2017. He was earlier the ex-chairman of Gujarat Tourism, four-times General Secretary of BJP Gujarat, and Speaker of Gujarat assembly. He is running for current elections from Rajkot West. Indranil Rajguru: Gujarat's richest candidate, Rajguru from Congress is taking on Vijay Rupani from Rajkot West. The aggressive and powerful leader is currently an Member of Legislative Council (upper house) from Rajkot East. Shaktisinh Gohil: Congress' Shaktisinh Gohil is contesting election from Kutch district's Mandi region. The national spokesperson of All India Congress Committee has claimed to end BJP's 10-year-old fortress from Mandvi. Paresh Dhanani: Currently an MLA of Amreli, Paresh Dhanani is again contesting from the same constituency. Very close to Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, Dhanani has accompanied him many times during his campaigns.

Gujarat election phase 1: Heavyweight candidates

The voting for first phase of election in Gujarat will take place on Saturday on 89 seats of Saurashtra and South Gujarat regions with 977 candidates in the fray.

After a campaign that often turned vituperative, around 2.12 crore voters are expected to exercise their franchise in Modi&#39;s home state on Saturday to choose between the ruling BJP and the Congress.

Prominent candidates in the fray for Saturday&#39;s battle include Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who is contesting from Rajkot (West), and Congress&#39; Shaktisinh Gohil (Mandvi) and Paresh Dhanani (Amreli).

The high voltage campaign for the first phase ended on Thursday evening.

Sparring between the two parties while canvassing for the polls, viewed as a prestige battle for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a litmus test for the leadership of soon-to-be Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, continued till the very end.

On Thursday, the Congress suspended its leader Mani Shankar Aiyar for referring to Modi as a &quot;neech kism ka aadmi&quot; (vile sort of man), triggering a controversy just ahead of the election.

The campaign shaped up as a duel between Modi and Gandhi, and often turned personal.

The poll narrative kept changing with issues such as the Ayodhya title suit, Gandhi&#39;s imminent elevation as Congress president and his visits to temples being raised by BJP leaders.

Gandhi emerged as the Congress&#39; pivot to take on the might of the prime minister on his home turf.

While Modi addressed about 15 rallies, Gandhi spent more than seven days in Saurashtra and South Gujarat, addressing a number of meetings.

BJP president Amit Shah, the chief poll strategist of the saffron party, also addressed a number of rallies, mainly targeting the Congress and Gandhi.

The BJP drafted in Union ministers Arun Jaitley, Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, besides Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

The Congress fielded former prime minister Manmohan Singh and prominent leaders such as P Chidambaram, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Sachin Pilot to canvass for votes.

The second phase comprises 93 seats in north and central Gujarat. The counting of votes will be taken up on December 18.

The second phase of the high-stakes election - with the BJP making a bid for a fifth term and the Congress attempting an electoral revival - will be held on December 14.

After a campaign that often turned vituperative, around 2.12 crore voters are expected to exercise their franchise in Modi's home state on Saturday to choose between the ruling BJP and the Congress.

The voting for first phase of election in Gujarat will take place on Saturday on 89 seats of Saurashtra and South Gujarat regions with 977 candidates in the fray. After a campaign that often turned vituperative, around 2.12 crore voters are expected to exercise their franchise in Modi's home state on Saturday to choose between the ruling BJP and the Congress. Prominent candidates in the fray for Saturday's battle include Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who is contesting from Rajkot (West), and Congress' Shaktisinh Gohil (Mandvi) and Paresh Dhanani (Amreli). The high voltage campaign for the first phase ended on Thursday evening. Sparring between the two parties while canvassing for the polls, viewed as a prestige battle for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a litmus test for the leadership of soon-to-be Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, continued till the very end. On Thursday, the Congress suspended its leader Mani Shankar Aiyar for referring to Modi as a "neech kism ka aadmi" (vile sort of man), triggering a controversy just ahead of the election. The campaign shaped up as a duel between Modi and Gandhi, and often turned personal. The poll narrative kept changing with issues such as the Ayodhya title suit, Gandhi's imminent elevation as Congress president and his visits to temples being raised by BJP leaders. Gandhi emerged as the Congress' pivot to take on the might of the prime minister on his home turf. While Modi addressed about 15 rallies, Gandhi spent more than seven days in Saurashtra and South Gujarat, addressing a number of meetings. BJP president Amit Shah, the chief poll strategist of the saffron party, also addressed a number of rallies, mainly targeting the Congress and Gandhi. The BJP drafted in Union ministers Arun Jaitley, Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, besides Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The Congress fielded former prime minister Manmohan Singh and prominent leaders such as P Chidambaram, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Sachin Pilot to canvass for votes. The second phase comprises 93 seats in north and central Gujarat. The counting of votes will be taken up on December 18. The second phase of the high-stakes election - with the BJP making a bid for a fifth term and the Congress attempting an electoral revival - will be held on December 14.

Gujarat elections: First phase of polling on Saturday