The ruling BJP appeared set to perform a hat-trick in Gujarat while trends reversed in favour of Congress in Himachal Pradesh where it could wrest power from the saffron party. Trends from the counting of votes that began this morning projected chief minister Narendra Modi capturing power for the third consecutive time worsting Congress.
In the 182-member Assembly, the BJP had won 117 in the last elections in 2007 while Congress got 59. Fortunes changed for Congress in Himachal Pradesh, where it was projected as trailing the ruling BJP. At 10 am, the Congress was leading in 28 seats while the BJP was ahead in 20 in the 68-memmber Assembly. 'Others' led in four.
Chief Minister Narendra Modi was leading in Maninagar. Both the Pradesh Congress Committee chief and the its legislature party leader Arjun Modhwadia and Shaktisinh Gohil were trailing.
Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said the victory in Gujarat polls "makes Narenda Modi unstoppable in the BJP. He is very important chief minister for BJP but that has nothing to do with his national acceptability".
The Congress, which had been hoping to unseat chief minister Narendra Modi, was ahead in 67 of the total 182 seats.
The Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP) of former BJP chief minister Keshubhai Patel appeared to be on the winning track in three places.
"There is every indication that the BJP is coming back to power in Gujarat," asserted party spokesperson Nirmala Sitaraman.
No result had been declared yet, the officials said.
Before the vote count started across the state at 8 am, Modi confidant Amit Shah asserted that the BJP was sure to bag a two-thirds majority in the 182-member Gujarat assembly.
The GPP said the Congress should have allied with it.
GPP leader Gordhan Zadaphia said a GPP-Congress alliance could have ousted Modi, who has ruled Gujarat since 2001 and who tweeted Thursday in the run up to the vote count: "No need to look behind."
Gujarat Congress leader Ameeben Yagnik admitted: "We will have to work harder in Gujarat."
The BJP won 117 seats in 2007. Exit polls have predicted a massive win for the BJP in Gujarat.
Political pundits have said that a widely predicted Modi win -- the third time he would be taking the BJP to victory in Gujarat -- could have him playing a larger role in national politics.
Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/
2012 ASSEMBLY POLLS
Gujarat
Total Seats 182
Total Seats 182
| Parties | Cont | Leads | Won | 2007 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
BJP
| 182 | 70 | 51 | 117 |
CONG
| 180 | 31 | 27 | 59 |
GPP
| 167 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
NCP
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
JDU
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
IND
| 667 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Others
| 311 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Himachal Pradesh
Total Seats 68
Total Seats 68
| Parties | Cont | Leads | Won | 2007 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
BJP
| 68 | 13 | 13 | 41 |
CONG
| 68 | 17 | 19 | 23 |
BSP
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 01 |
HLP
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 00 |
TMC
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 00 |
IND
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 03 |
Others
| 0 | 3 | 3 | 00 |
