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Updated December 8th, 2022 at 15:19 IST

Gujarat Elections: Five gamechangers for BJP as party inching towards landslide victory

With its expected huge victory in the home state of PM Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the BJP can cross an all-time high tally of 149 seats.

Reported by: Kamal Joshi
Gujarat Elections
Image: PTI | Image:self
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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set for a landslide victory in Gujarat to retain power for a record seventh straight term. The win would be more significant as the party is likely to get past 150 seats in the 182-member assembly.

With its expected huge victory in the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the BJP can cross an all-time high tally of 149 seats, which was achieved by Congress in the 1985 election. Amid a historic win, here's what worked for the saffron party.

BJP's Gujarat triumph: Five key factors

Modi factor: The popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his intense campaigning helped the BJP to regain lost ground in 2017. In the last assembly polls, the BJP had won 99 seats in the 182-member assembly whereas Congress got 77 seats. PM Modi addressed several rallies and roadshows- including a 50-km-long mega roadshow in Ahmedabad.

Gujarat development model: The Gujarat development model has also played a major role in BJP's success. When Modi took over as the Chief Minister, Gujarat was reeling under the effects of a devasting earthquake. The state, under Modi's leadership, recovered for it quickly and later quantum jump in its growth rate. The BJP also strengthened the state's infrastructure. Then-CM Modi's Narmada project also turned Gujarat from a water-deficient to a 'water surplus' state.

Fresh faces: To beat 'anti-incumbency' and achieve 'pro-incumbency', the saffron party fielded many fresh faces in the constituencies it won in the previous assembly elections. Many senior leaders, including former Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and his former deputy Nitin Patel, were denied tickets to introduce younger faces.

BJP tribal outreach: Tribal votes were generally considered a stronghold of the Congress party. However, this changed in 2022. PM Modi had led a massive tribal outreach campaign. Veteran tribal leader and founder of the Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) Chhotu Vasava, who has been winning the Jhagadia seat for the past three decades, was trailing by a margin of nearly 15,000 votes. BJP's Riteshkumar Vasava is leading from this seat.

AAP's entry: The entry of Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party, as per the election trends, suggests having no impact on BJP. However, it heavily affected Congress, which won 77 seats in the last polls and has now dwindled to less than 20.

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Published December 8th, 2022 at 15:19 IST

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