<p>Modi’s popularity in Gujarat has remained intact but could not translate into higher seat share, partly on account of the “forcible imposition of candidates” by him as also due to a more resolute fight by the Congress. Modi’s campaign in Maharashtra did not yield the expected result for the saffron party.<br /><br />The BJP’s tally of 15 out of the 26 LS seats with the Congress managing to bag 11 seats did not justify the political hype surrounding Modi. The BJP added only one seat to its last election count. After the 2004 LS polls, the BJP had won assembly elections in 2007 winning 117 seats out of the 182 with the Congress settling for only 59 seats. Modi’s consecutive win in Gujarat raised the bar for him in the state with the expectation that Gujarat may yield over 20 seats to the saffron party. But, it did not happen. The vote share of the BJP and the Congress witnessed a marginal decline of .9 and .5 per cent respectively with players like the BSP and the Maha Gujarat Party (MJP) of Gordhan Zadafia nibbling at their electoral bases.<br /><br />In Saurashtra, the influential Patel-Leuvas and Kadvas have seemingly not put all their eggs in one basket. The BJP lost Rajkot, one of its strongest forts, to the Congress as the selection of the candidate did not please the voters. BJP candidate Kiran Patel—a Kadva Patel—was new to the party and was nominated by Modi soon after his induction into the party. <br /><br />Sitting BJP MP Vallabhbhai Ramjibhai Katharia was replaced at the instance of the chief minister. It seemed even Kadva Patels did not wholeheartedly vote for the BJP candidate. The party lost the Rajkot seat for the first time after 1991.<br /><br />In Saurashtra, Surendra Nagar was lost to the Congress on account of Modi’s differences with sitting MP Sombhai Gandalal Patel, who subsequently quit the party and won the seat as a Congress candidate.<br /><br />Jamnagar, which was a BJP stronghold until 2004, was taken by the Congress.<br />The “slippery nature” of the constituencies in Gujarat was again amplified by the 2009 poll verdict. The Congress in Gujarat snatched the five seats of Rajkot, Patan, Surendranagar, Porbandar and Dahod from the BJP and, in return, the BJP wrested the four seats of Sabarkantha, Junagarh, Amreli and Chota Nagpur from the Congress. The BJP retained its Panchmahals seat (Godhra) in eastern Gujarat by drubbing Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela. <br /><br />The Congress had a good chance to score a victory in Bhavnagar over the BJP’s sitting MP Rajendrasinh with MGP candidate Gordhan Zadafia damaging the BJP contender. Zadafia, who had taken up the plight of the unemployed diamond workers as a major issue, secured over 1,56,000 votes. The BJP, however, could win this seat by a narrow margin of over 5,000 votes.<br /><br />Many seats have changed hands in this poll which is reflective of the fact that the poll scenario in Gujarat is in a flux and could take an unexpected swing. Modi will have to watch out his steps in Gujarat before attempting to step outside it.<br />DH News Service</p>
<p>Modi’s popularity in Gujarat has remained intact but could not translate into higher seat share, partly on account of the “forcible imposition of candidates” by him as also due to a more resolute fight by the Congress. Modi’s campaign in Maharashtra did not yield the expected result for the saffron party.<br /><br />The BJP’s tally of 15 out of the 26 LS seats with the Congress managing to bag 11 seats did not justify the political hype surrounding Modi. The BJP added only one seat to its last election count. After the 2004 LS polls, the BJP had won assembly elections in 2007 winning 117 seats out of the 182 with the Congress settling for only 59 seats. Modi’s consecutive win in Gujarat raised the bar for him in the state with the expectation that Gujarat may yield over 20 seats to the saffron party. But, it did not happen. The vote share of the BJP and the Congress witnessed a marginal decline of .9 and .5 per cent respectively with players like the BSP and the Maha Gujarat Party (MJP) of Gordhan Zadafia nibbling at their electoral bases.<br /><br />In Saurashtra, the influential Patel-Leuvas and Kadvas have seemingly not put all their eggs in one basket. The BJP lost Rajkot, one of its strongest forts, to the Congress as the selection of the candidate did not please the voters. BJP candidate Kiran Patel—a Kadva Patel—was new to the party and was nominated by Modi soon after his induction into the party. <br /><br />Sitting BJP MP Vallabhbhai Ramjibhai Katharia was replaced at the instance of the chief minister. It seemed even Kadva Patels did not wholeheartedly vote for the BJP candidate. The party lost the Rajkot seat for the first time after 1991.<br /><br />In Saurashtra, Surendra Nagar was lost to the Congress on account of Modi’s differences with sitting MP Sombhai Gandalal Patel, who subsequently quit the party and won the seat as a Congress candidate.<br /><br />Jamnagar, which was a BJP stronghold until 2004, was taken by the Congress.<br />The “slippery nature” of the constituencies in Gujarat was again amplified by the 2009 poll verdict. The Congress in Gujarat snatched the five seats of Rajkot, Patan, Surendranagar, Porbandar and Dahod from the BJP and, in return, the BJP wrested the four seats of Sabarkantha, Junagarh, Amreli and Chota Nagpur from the Congress. The BJP retained its Panchmahals seat (Godhra) in eastern Gujarat by drubbing Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela. <br /><br />The Congress had a good chance to score a victory in Bhavnagar over the BJP’s sitting MP Rajendrasinh with MGP candidate Gordhan Zadafia damaging the BJP contender. Zadafia, who had taken up the plight of the unemployed diamond workers as a major issue, secured over 1,56,000 votes. The BJP, however, could win this seat by a narrow margin of over 5,000 votes.<br /><br />Many seats have changed hands in this poll which is reflective of the fact that the poll scenario in Gujarat is in a flux and could take an unexpected swing. Modi will have to watch out his steps in Gujarat before attempting to step outside it.<br />DH News Service</p>