BJP set to retain power for 5th consecutive term in Gujrat, wrest power from Cong in Himachal

Srinagar/Dec,18: BP is leading in 104 assembly seats to retain power for fifth consecutive term in Gujarat and 46 assemby seats to wrest power from Congress in Himachal Pradesh. However Congress is leading in 76, assembly seats up 15 from 2012in Gujrat. A party needs to win 92 of 182 assembly seats to form government in Gujarat and 35 or more assembly seats in Himachal Pradesh. Congress is ahead in 20 assembly seats in Himachal Pradesh where it had won last assembly elections by the slimmest of margins five years ago.
Celebrations have begun at the BJP headquarters in Delhi and in Gujarat capital Gandhinagar. BJP workers, who were worried in the morning as the party ran neck and neck with the Congress in early counting, are now filling the Gandhinagar office.
The BJP has dismissed suggestions that the lower numbers in Gujarat are a setback. “How can a victory be a setback? A setback is for a person who doesn’t win…We are consistently winning with PM Modi leading the party,” said the party’s Nalin Kohli.
The BJP has lost ground in the Saurashtra region, while it has gained in central and north Gujarat. It is losing two in the south of the state. The party is seeking its fifth consecutive term in the state, having been in power for the last two decades.
The Congress has said it views the Gujarat result as a gain for its better performance. “The Congress did manage to tap into the anti-incumbency sentiment. It is important to understand Gujarat is not like other states. It’s the BJP citadel. If they lost that, the BJP would fall of like pack of cards so they pulled out all stops. I think we are doing very good,” said the Congress’s Sharmishta Mukherjee.
Analysts have called the Gujarat election a pivotal moment, a contest important not only for the state but also national politics. A win today will give the BJP added momentum in the run-up to the 2019 national election after its sweep of Uttar Pradesh earlier this year.
Winning Gujarat, his home state, is also a matter of prestige for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In a bitterly fought battle versus Rahul Gandhi, the Prime Minister made the election more about Gujarati pride and less about issues like development and economic policies raised by the new Congress president.
Rahul Gandhi also tried to tap into any anti-incumbency sentiment against the BJP, which has been in power in Gujarat for two decades. He forged partnerships with young caste leaders to cash in on the anger of their groups against the ruling party
Among heavyweights, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel and BJP state chief Jitu Vaghani are leading. Also leading are Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani, who was backed by the Congress and Alpesh Thakor, who joined the party weeks before the elections. In Himachal, the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate PK Dhumal is trailing, while current Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh is leading.