After an initial scare by Congress, the story in Gujarat Assembly elections followed an expected path as BJP took the lead. According to NDTV, the saffron party, which has been in power in the western state for 22 years, was the frontrunner in 102 seats and Congress was shown to be leading in 78. At one point, both the parties were in neck and neck, raising hopes in the Congress camp. The Election Commission data showed BJP had garnered 49 per cent of the vote share, up from the 47 percent in 2012. Congress, meanwhile, upped its vote share to 41.7 per cent from 39 per cent. In 2012 assembly elections, BJP had won 115 seats, while Congress got just 59. The Patidars of Saurashtra region prima facie seems to have changed their allegiance as Congress was leading from a majority of 54 seats. In Morbi, the epicentre of the Patidar agitation seeking reservation that was spearheaded by PAAS convenor Hardik Patel, Congress candidates were leading from all the three assembly seats. Sitting BJP MLA from Morbi, Kantilal Amrutiya was trailing to his Congress challenger Brijesh Merja. Lalit Kagathara of Congress was ahead of his BJP rival Raghavji Gadara from Tankara seat. Sitting Congress MLA from Wankaner, Mahamadavid Pirzada was also leading his BJP challenger Jitu Somani. ALSO READ: Gujarat Assembly Elections Results 2017 LIVE UPDATES Besides Morbi, Congress was leading in most of seats in Junagadh, Surendranagar, Gir Somnath, Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Porbandar and Botad. BJP, on the other hand, was ahead in Rajkot, Bhavnagar and Jamnagar. Barring Porbandar and Devbhumi Dwarka and Porbandar, the rest of the districts have sizable Patidar population and quota leader Hardik Patel had exhorted his community members not to vote for the BJP this election. "The mood of the people of Gujarat will lead Congress to victory. Can't comment much on initial trends; let the final results come," said state Congress in-charge Ashok Gehlot. Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani registered a thumping victory over Congress’ Indranil Rajyaguru from Rajkot West constituency by 40,000 votes, while Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani was leading in Vadgam constituency by over 20,000 votes. Mevani is contesting the elections as an independent, with the support of Congress. Meanwhile, OBC leader Alpesh Thakor, who joined the Congress just before the elections, has taken the lead in Radhanpur constituency, leading by 15,000 votes against BJP's Solanki Thakor. RELATED REPORT: Gujarat Assembly elections 2017: Reading between the numbers Meanwhile, Central Gujarat saw mixed results. The biggest upset for BJP came in the tribal district of Narmada as both sitting MLAs – Motisinh Vasava from Dediapada constituency and Shabdasharan Tadvi from Nandod constituency- were trailing behind the Congress-Bhartiya Tribal Party combine in the final round. Rebel JD(U) leader Chhotubhai Vasava’s son Mahesh Vasava, who is contesting from Dediapada Assembly in Narmada district, won against BJPs’ sitting MLA Moti Vasava by 21,700 votes. In Nandod, Congress candidate Premsinh Vasava has a clear lead over sitting MLA Tadvi. Incidentally, Narmada district, which recorded the highest voter turn out in the polls at 79%, is home to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet project, the 182-metre-tall Statue of Unity of Sardar Vallabhai Patel. In Jhagadia (ST seat), Chhotu Vasava won by 48,600 votes. In Vadodara, BJP candidates Seema Mohile from Akota, Manisha Vakil from Vadodara City, Jitendra Sukhadia from Sayajigunj, Rajendra Trivedi from Raopura and Yogesh Patel from Manjalpur constituencies registered comfortable victories. All the five urban seats have been traditional BJP bastions. In Vadodara rural, Waghodia BJP MLA Madhu Shrivastav won by a margin of over 12,000 votes, while Karjan MLA Satish Patel scraped through. Ketan Inamdar, sitting MLA of Savli in Vadodara, also registered a thumping win, while Padra sitting MLA Dinesh Patel is set to face an upset from Congress candidate Jaspalsinh Thakor. ALSO READ: Tribal districts side with Congress, Vadodara stays loyal to BJP Exuding confidence as the leads showed a comfortable margin between the Congress and BJP, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said, "Will form government in both Himachal and Gujarat with clear majority." BJP deputy CM Nitinbhai Patel, who is presently leading in Mahesana by a thread, said BJP would ultimately register victory. "Ultimately BJP is going to register victory, contrary to early trends BJP is leading almost everywhere now," Patel said. In Kapadvanj seat of Kheda district, which was represented by Shankarsinh Vaghela, Congress candidate Kalu Dabhi has maintained a steady lead over BJP candidate Kanu Dabhi and strong independent Bimal Shah, who is a former BJP cabinet minister. Almost all exit polls have predicted more than 100 seats for the BJP in Gujarat. According to News 24, which got most of its predictions right in the past, BJP is expected to win 135 seats in Gujarat and Congress is likely to bag 47 seats. Held in two phases, the voter turnout this time was 68.40 per cent, much lower than the 71.32 per cent recorded in 2012 assembly elections. The BJP’s entire campaign this election has revolved around Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Centre’s policies such as demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax. This election has been unlike any witnessed in Gujarat in recent times. For one, this is the first election since Modi moved to Delhi as Prime Minister and the Congress had sensed an outside chance at pulling off an upset victory. Rahul Gandhi, who toured the state in four phases as part of his 12-day Gujarat Navsarjan Yatra, was appointed party president less than 48 hours before the results was announced.
