New Delhi: The BJP is all set to secure a comfortable win in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. The election in Gujarat is seen as a prestige battle for both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and newly-elected Congress president Rahul Gandhi.
The BJP has been ruling in Gujarat for the last two decades and a win today is going to be a significant booster for them ahead of the 2019 general elections. The BJP has also extended its lead over the Congress in Himachal Pradesh.
Today’s results will reveal whether the Congress could make any dent in the BJP’s traditional vote base of the influential Patel community with its tie-up with Hardik Patel, the face of the Patidar agitation for reservation in government jobs and colleges.
Gujarat has 182 assembly seats and a party needs 92 or more to form government. In 2012, the BJP had won 115 seats and the Congress 61.
Anger against the BJP for GST and demonetization did not translate into “anti-government” or “anti-Modi” votes.
Congress partnered with prominent Patidar, OBC, and Dalit leaders – Hardik Patel, Alpesh Thakor and Jigesh Mevani – in its bid to unseat the BJP in power for over two decades but even this coalition failed to dislodge the BJP from power. .
Talking to the reporters Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said, “Rahul Gandhi has made a tremendous impact and a lot of enthusiasm has been generated. The real economic issues will remain relevant, not just in Gujarat but in other states as well. We are very happy with the results. This is one of the many battles that we need to fight. Do not forget that there are 29 states. Trends are positive. People vote for complex reasons.”
The BJP has already started preparing for elections in the North-east. Few days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a couple of infrastructure projects in Mizoram and Meghalaya in the north-east.
There are eight states in the north-east – Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. After winning Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, the BJP is looking to score victories in Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland, where assembly elections will be held next year.
The BJP now rules 19 out of 29 states.
