The BJP has extended the lead after the Congress gave a tough challenge. The Congress, which exit polls predicted would lose the Gujarat election, seemed to be proving them wrong. At one time, experts and analysts even considered a win for the Congress, which would be a first for them in two decades in Gujarat. Markets had collapsed with the Sensex going down 850 points, but has recovered the loss and is up 50 points currently. The election in Gujarat is seen as a prestige battle for both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and newly-elected Congress president Rahul Gandhi.
AHMEDABAD:Â After a high-pitched and bitterly-fought election campaign by the BJP and Congress in Gujarat, all eyes now focus on the Gujarat Assembly election result which will be declared today. Counting of votes began at 8 am sharp. The BJP has extended the lead after the Congress gave a tough challenge. The Congress, which exit polls predicted would lose the Gujarat election, seemed to be proving them wrong. At one time, experts and analysts even considered a win for the Congress, which would be a first for them in two decades in Gujarat. Markets had collapsed with the Sensex going down 850 points, but has recovered the loss and is up 50 points currently. The election in Gujarat is seen as a prestige battle for both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and newly-elected Congress president Rahul Gandhi. For PM Modi, Gujarat being his home state makes it a must-win battle for the BJP, while for Rahul Gandhi, who is now Congress president, a loss would be seen as a bad start, especially because he was the face of the Congress and spearheaded its campaign and strategy in the state. The BJP has been ruling in Gujarat for the last two decades and a win today will be significant for them ahead of the 2019 general elections. While it is neck and neck in Gujarat, the BJP has extended its lead over the Congress in Himachal Pradesh.
Gujarat Election Result Update: Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who was trailing for a while as votes were being counted, has won from Rajkot West. Mr Rupani is the first Chief Minister since Narendra Modi to face elections in Gujarat. Rajkot West is a prestige seat for the BJP. Prime Minister Narendra Modi contested the first-ever election of his life from this constituency and won. Rajkot is the financial nerve-centre of the Saurashtra region, where the Congress is seen to have made big gains.
The Sensex nosedived over 850 points in the early trade today as early leads indicated a close fight between BJP and Congress in Gujarat. The Sensex fell to 32,595 at day’s low while Nifty slumped to 10,074. But the Sensex later recovered as the BJP pulled ahead of the Congress. Analysts say that the market had factored in a comfortable win for the BJP in Gujarat polls.
On the day of the Gujarat Election results, here are the latest updates from the markets this morning:
- At 9:45 am, the Sensex had pared most of the losses and was down just 74 points. The Nifty was off 16 points at 10,316.
- Banking stocks which led the initial slump in the index recovered most of the losses. The banking index on BSE was trading 0.14 per cent lower after slumping over 2 per cent at day’s low.
- Adani group stocks fell sharply in early trade today but pared most of the losses in later trade.
- HCL Tech, BPCL, HPCL, UPL and UltraTech Cement were among the top losers, down around 1.5 per cent. Among the gainers, Vedanta, Cipla, Adani Ports and GAIL India were up 1-2 per cent.
Figures After First 2 Hours Of Counting: BJP leading in 97 constituencies, Congress leading in 81
Gujarat Election Result LIVE: Two hours into counting of votes, it’s a close fight in Gujarat. The BJP is leading in 97 of the key state’s 182 seats, the Congress in 85, with the latter gaining in 24 seats that it had lost last time. The BJP is trailing in 18 seats it had won in 2012. 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. Today’s results will reveal whether the Congress could make any dent in the BJP’s traditional vote base of the influential Patel community with its tie-up with 24-year-old Hardik Patel, the face of the Patel or Patidar agitation for reservation in government jobs and colleges.
Gujarat has 182 assembly seats and a party needs 92 or more to form government. The BJP is seeking its fifth consecutive term in the state, having been in power for the last two decades. In 2012, the BJP had won 115 seats and the Congress 61.
Breaking News: Sensex slumps over 850 points as early leads indicate tight race between BJP and Congress in Gujarat
Latest Updates: Congress’ Shaktisinh Gohil trailing by 1,300 votes from Kutch’s Mandvi; Chief Minister Vijay Rupani trailing by 800 votes from Rajkot West.
“BJP will certainly form the government in BJP. It has been doing so since 1998. There are complete arrangements for celebrations, no need to worry,” says Jagdish Bhavsar, BJP spokesperson
Prannoy Roy says: “Health warning – Nielson, which is doing the numbers for all channels – verified by EC returning officers, says 90% of these first leads are postal ballots. Will have to wait some more for EVM votes”
Political analyst Ajay Umat says, “It seems to be a close contest in many areas, might even be a photo finish in the end. For the first time I am noticing an anti-incumbency sentiment in Gujarat”
Early leads show that the BJP have pulled ahead in 55 seats in Gujarat, while the Congress is ahead in 16 as counting of votes began for assembly elections at 8 am. The BJP is gaining in one seat, the Congress is holding seats it had won last time. Analysts have called the Gujarat election a pivotal moment, a contest important not only for the state but also national politics. A big win today for the BJP in Gujarat will, in the run-up to the 2019 national election, add to the momentum that the party got with its sweep of Uttar Pradesh earlier this year. The party hopes it will be Modi Wave 3.0 in Gujarat after the 2014 national election and UP?
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.
(Gujarat Election Result 2017: Narendra Modi was the face of the BJP campaign in his home state Gujarat)
Gujarat Assembly Election Result 2017: Here’s a look at the biggest strengths of the BJP and Congress in Gujarat
24-year-old Hardik Patel, the face of a massive agitation by the influential Patel or Patidar community for reservation in government jobs and colleges, asked his community to vote for the Congress to punish the BJP for not including them in castes that benefit from affirmative action. The Patel swing away from the party is expected to be the BJP’s main loss, while its biggest gains are a 10 per cent swing in Scheduled Caste votes and a 25 per cent swing in its favour of tribal votes, a big focus of PM Modi’s campaign to make up for any losses from an anti-incumbency sentiment. The Congress’ last minute induction of young backward caste or OBC leader Alpesh Thakor is, however, not seen to have helped the party, with OBCs expected to be among the BJP’s big strengths in these elections. 47 per cent OBCs are seen to back the BJP, while the party is also likely to score 57 per cent upper caste votes and 57 per cent tribal votes.
BJP takes the early lead in Gujarat. First leads show the BJP ahead in 32 of 39 constituencies from where data has come in.
The BJP, an analysis of past exit polls shows, has a 35 per cent chance of getting more than 130 seats, which will be a landslide.
(NDTV’s poll of exit polls suggest a better chance for the BJP to win the Gujarat Assembly election 2017)
The BJP has a 90 per cent chance of winning its fifth successive term in Gujarat, with the Congress’ chance of pulling off an upset a slim 10 per cent, based on an analysis of exit polls and surveys. Votes will be counted for the crucial Gujarat assembly elections from 8 on Monday morning. The state has 182 assembly seats and a party needs to win 92 or more to form government.
The election is seen as a high-stakes battle between Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose home state is Gujarat, and new Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who is attempting to reverse his party’s dismal record in recent state elections. A win for the BJP will give the party great momentum in the run-up to the 2019 national election when PM Modi will seek a second term.
The BJP, an analysis of past exit polls shows, has a 35 per cent chance of getting more than 130 seats, which will be a landslide.
(Gujarat Assembly Election Result 2017 LIVE: What exit polls suggest are the chances of victory for the BJP and Congress)
The Congress extended support to Patidar leader, Hardik Patel in a bid to cash in on the Patidar community’s anger. Patidars have lent their support to the BJP for the past two decades, but Mr Patel’s sustained agitation in recent times, to demand reservations for the community, have led to this support diminishing. Hardik Patel came into politics on the strength of popular protests. Mr Patel, the founder of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti or PAAS extended support to the Congress after the party said it would address the issue of reservations for the community.
(Photo: Hardik Patel, who has been demanding a quota or reservation for Patidars, is believed to have dented the Patidar vote-base of the BJP. He is supporting the Congress for the Gujarat Assembly election)
Both the BJP and the Congress have made efforts to woo the Patidars and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) for this election, as could be seen from the manner of ticket distributions by both parties. The BJP has fielded 50 Patidar candidates while the Congress fielded 41. The Congress has 62 OBC candidates and the BJP has 58. As far as Dalit candidates are concerned, the BJP fielded 13, while the Congress fielded 14.
07:18 (IST)
The Gujarat assembly elections 2017 was held in two phases on December 9 and 14. A total of 4.32 crore people were eligible to vote. While 977 candidates fought it out in the first phase, 851 candidates contested in the second phase. Gujarat has 182 assembly seats. The first phase of the Gujarat assembly election saw a voter turnout of 68 per cent, according to the Election Commission, while voter turnout in the second phase was 68.7 per cent. The voter turnout in the 2012 assembly election was 71.3 per cent.
(Gujarat Assembly Election Result 2017 LIVE: Predicts the BJP getting 116 seats, which is one more than last time)
