Politics
Swarajya Staff
Dec 08, 2022, 09:00 AM | Updated 05:14 PM IST
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5:00 pm
After the BJP registered a historic win in the Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked the people of Gujarat.
He tweeted, "Thank you Gujarat. I am overcome with a lot of emotions seeing the phenomenal election results. People blessed politics of development and at the same time expressed a desire that they want this momentum to continue at a greater pace. I bow to Gujarat’s Jan Shakti."
He also addressed the party workers for their 'exceptional hardwork'. PM is expected to visit the party headquarters in Delhi and address the party workers on the elections results in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh elections as well as by-polls in various parts of the country.
In the 182-member Gujarat Assembly, BJP has comfortably crossed the simple majority mark. It had won 120 seats and was leading in 36 seats.
The Congress, on the other hand, was poised for its worst-ever performance in the state as it has won on 11 seats and was leading on just six others.
New entrant Aam Aadmi party (AAP) has won four Assembly seats so far and was leading on one. The AAP convenor, Arvind Kejriwal, meanwhile, congratulated his party for being eligible to claim 'national party' status.
1:40 pm:
As predicted by Swarajya, the BJP is looking to sweep the tribal dominated seats in the Gujarat assembly elections.
In 2012, out of 27 seats reserved for the Scheduled Tribes, the Congress won 16, the BJP won 10, and one seat was picked up by the JD(U).
In 2017, the Congress won 16 of the 27 and the BJP won nine. Two seats were picked up the then Congress ally BTP (Chhotubhai and Mahesh Vasava) and one seat returned an Independent candidate.
At present, the BJP is leading in 22 of the 27 tribal reserved seat. In Dahod, results have been declared with the BJP as the winner. Among the other four seats, the Congress and the AAP are leading in two seats each.
The BJP engineered the breach in the Congress stronghold through spate of defections by tribal leaders from the latter. It also saw the BJP heavyweights putting their strength behind the party in the region.
PM Modi began his Gujarat campaign with a tribal outreach from Valsad that touches the tribal belt.
As per the latest EC figures, out of 182, BJP has won 5 seats and is leading in 153, Congress has won one seat and leading in 15 while AAP is leading in 5 seats but is yet to register a win.
12:45 pm:
AAP, which ran a high-decibel campaign in Gujarat, is struggling to reach the double digit number. Both its chief ministerial candidate, Isudan Gadhvi and state president, Gopal Italia, are trailing behind the BJP from Khambaliya and Katargam seats respectively.
The third most talked about AAP candidate, Alpesh Kathiriya, from Varachha Road seat, too, is trailing. AAP party chief, Arvind Kejriwal, had given their names in writing, as a "gurantee" of their "win".
Kejriwal had even held a roadshow at Italia's seat on the last day of campaigning for first phase polls.
As per the latest trends, out of 182, BJP is leading in 155, Congress in 18 and AAP in 5.
10:47 am:
BJP is leading in 15 of the 16 seats of Surat. AAP leads in Limbayat. It was hoping to dent BJP's vote share in the majority of the 16 seats in the region.
However, EC trends show AAP trailing. Even Varaccha Road seat, where it had won 27 seats in the municipal polls, is going the saffron way.
As per the latest trends, out of 156, BJP is leading in 153, Congress in 17 and AAP in 8.
10:07 am:
As per the official EC trends, the BJP has crossed the 50 per cent mark in vote share. It seems to have increased its vote share by more than 3 per cent, emerging stronger despite 27 years of incumbency. If the numbers hold, all exit polls would be proven wrong.
Congress's vote share stands at 26.6 per cent, down from 42.2 per cent in 2017. AAP, gaining at Congress's expense, is at 13.5 per cent.
10:02 am:
The BJP, after breaching Congress's rural stronghold, is now gaining massive strength in the tribal belt. Of the 27 tribal reserved seats, it is leading in 24, while AAP is leading in 4.
Congress was in lead in one seat of Vansda.
As per the latest trends, out of 182, BJP was leading in 145, Congress in 23 and AAP in 9.
AAP's state president, Gopal Italia, is trailing from Katargam, Surat.
9.50 am:
With the counting of votes going on, BJP is continuing to maintain its huge lead in Gujarat and has crossed the majority mark in the official trends.
As per the Election Commission, out of the 163 seats for which trends are out, BJP is way past the 92-seat required for majority with the party leading on 129 seats.
BJP’s main rival in the state, Congress, is trailing distant second, with the grand old party leading on 22 seats.
Meanwhile, Arvind Kejriwal led AAP is maintaining lead on 10 seats, as per the EC.
9.30 am:
In the early trends, the BJP has not only crossed the majority mark but it is now looking to break all its previous records in the assembly elections.
The party was leading on all three seats in Morbi. In rural Gujarat, the BJP was moving towards total decimation of Congress as it gains lead in 90 of the 119 seats.
Out of the total 182 seats, BJP was leading in 134 seats, according to the latest trends.
Meanwhile, the Congress was trailing at a distant second position with around 28 seats and Arvind Kejriwal led AAP is leading on 12 seats. The division of votes between the two parties has impacted the Congress the most.
The two-phase Gujarat elections concluded on 5 December 2022. The exit polls showed BJP coming back to power for the seventh time, with a record number of seats.
Our Gujarat Election Coverage:
Swarajya, too, had brought out its Gujarat election forecast:
Along with the BJP and Congress, the Delhi-based Aam Aadmi Party too is in the poll fray, making it a triangular contest. AAP’s emergence as a significant political entity would, however, hinge upon the number of seats and vote share it manages to get in a state where the BJP is a dominant force.
Here we analysed AAP’s strategy and possible impact in the Gujarat polls:
AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal Eyes Congress Vote Share In Gujarat-
OBCs, Tribals, And Patidars—Kejriwal Plays The Caste Card In Gujarat
During the Gujarat polls, Swarajya also brought out several ground reports from what used to be the hotbed of the Patidar agitation, Surat. In 2021 Surat local body polls, AAP won 27 seats while Congress was completely decimated.
We tested the claims made by AAP of winning maximum seats from the industrial and financial hub of Gujarat.
Despite Being In Power For 27 Years, BJP In Gujarat Doesn't Take Its Opposition Lightly
Ground Report From Surat — Where AAP’s Much-Touted ‘Parivartan’ Seems Unlikely
In the 2017 elections, BJP recorded its lowest number of seats during heightened Patidar agitation. This time, however, the party is confident of winning its highest-ever tally.
Having addressed concerns of the Patidar, the party was aggressively targeting tribal belts and other areas where Congress was considered traditionally strong.
Swarajya did several data-based stories that analyzed the various factors impacting the Gujarat elections.
Gujarat 2022: BJP Grinding Its Way To A Resounding Success In The Tribal Belt
Gujarat Scheduled Castes Seats – Where History Makes The Future
Gujarat 2022: Why A Recent Pre-Poll Survey Doesn’t Exactly Pass The Smell Test
The BJP or Modi phenomenon in Gujarat has been a fascinating topic of disussion. In the current election cycle, it was clear that despite 27 years in power, BJP continues to be people's preferred choice.
Here are some pieces that shine a light on Gujarat's development story:
Social Progress In Gujarat – Has The State Lived Up To Its Dreams?
Why Monsoon, Markets, And MSP Could Give A Boost To BJP In Rural Gujarat
The final results of Gujarat polls are awaited on 8 December 2022. Considering it is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state and may set the mood for the next general elections, the only question being asked now is how big the victory is going to be for the BJP.