2 min readNew DelhiDec 19, 2017 04:22 PM IST
First published on: Dec 19, 2017 at 01:21 PM IST
Gujarat election results: Rahul Gandhi after addressing a press conference in New Delhi on Tuesday. (Express Photo Praveen Jain)
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday claimed moral victory in the Gujarat Assembly election 2017 and said that poll results have dealt a massive blow to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Speaking to media a day after the election results were announced, Rahul said, “Three-four months back, when we went to Gujarat, it was said that Congress cannot fight BJP. We did hark work for three-four months and you have seen the results. BJP has suffered a massive jolt.”
He also said the people of Gujarat have given a message to the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the “anger that you have within yourself will not work and it will be defeated by love”.
“A question has been raised at PM Modi’s credibility. Modi ji has a credibility problem,” he further said.
The Congress chief further said that people in Gujarat do not approve of PM Modi’s model. “I got to know that people in Gujarat do not approve of Modi Ji’s model, the marketing & propaganda is very good but it is hollow from the inside, they could not answer our campaign.”
Insisting that the results could have been better, Rahul said that PM Modi could not answer Congress’s questions. “It is a good result, we could have won.”
The BJP retained power in Gujarat for the sixth consecutive term as they won a clear majority in the assembly elections. However, unlike what BJP president Amit Shah had predicted, they were not able to win 150 seats and were given a tough fight by the Congress.
Out of 182 assembly seats, BJP bagged 99, Congress won 77 and others won seven seats. BJP’s vote share in the state increased from 47.9 per cent (2012) to 49.1 per cent. Though, it is a huge comedown if one compares it with the 59.1 per cent share it got in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
On the other hand, the Rahul Gandhi-led party improved its performance and its vote share increased from 38.9 per cent (2012) to 41.4 per cent.
Gujarat election results: Rahul Gandhi after addressing a press conference in New Delhi on Tuesday. (Express Photo Praveen Jain)
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