‘Gujarati-for-PM’ was the slogan of the BJP’s Lok Sabha campaign in Gujarat, Narendra Modi’s home state given a resounding 100 per cent mandate in his good turn.
The message was clear-cut: Modi should now replicate the success of the ‘Gujarat model’ on the wider canvas of India.
The BJP swept all 26 seats, demolishing some of the last-standing Congress stronghold such as Anand, Bardoli and Kheda, which were represented by Union ministers Tushar Chaudhary, Bharatsinh Solanki and Dinsha Patel respectively. Shankersinh Vaghela, leader of opposition in the Gujarat assembly, was another major loser (from Sabarkantha).
In 2009, the Congress had won 11 seats from the state. The BJP bettered its previous best of 20 seats in 1999 to achieve an unmatched clean sweep. Modi seemed to have Gujarat completely under his enchantment.
The BJP garnered a record vote share of 59.1 per cent (up from 46.38 per cent in 2009), whereas the Congress’s share went down to 32.9 per cent (from 43.38% in 2009). The overall polling stood at 63 per cent (up from 47.90% in 2009).
No other political party could make a kick in the teeth in the saffron strongholds. AAP polled only 1.2 per cent votes — less than the number of people who opted for NOTA (1.8 per cent) here.