BJP looks to break 37-year record, heads towards landslide victory in Gujarat

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is set to return to power in Gujarat with its biggest win ever in the state as early trends showed it was leading in over 150 seats.

The BJP appeared to be forming the government for a record seventh straight term, while early trends also showed Congress getting decimated completely and was heading to its worst defeat in the state. Early trend showed Congress at number two in the state with 20 seats while Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party was leading on seven seats.

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While the counting is still underway, the early trends showed the BJP set to break the record of 149 seats which Congress had won in 1985 during then-CM Madhavsinh Solanki. Until now, BJP's biggest victory was in 2002 when it had won 127 seats under the then-Chief Minister Narendra Modi. That victory had come in the backdrop of post Godhra riots, triggered by burning of Sabarmati Express train at Godhra railway station.

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Since 2002, the BJP's winning tally had been declining and in the previous election, it was reduced to 99 seats. With this victory, BJP is also set to equal the record of the Left Front government in West Bengal from 1977 to 2011. BJP has been ruling Gujarat since 1995.

Jubilant BJP leaders have given the credit to what appeared to be a landslide victory to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi who campaigned for the party aggressively in the last leg of elections. Modi held over 35 election rallies across the state, seeking votes in the name of "double engine sarkar," "nationalism" and issues concerning the nation.

Whereas, Congress which had won 77 seats in 2017 went hyperlocal, raising issues on price rise, unemployment, recruitment exam paper leaks, among others. Party leader Rahul Gandhi, on 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', remained largely absent from the campaigning.