The Aam Aadmi Party's Chief Ministerial face for Gujarat, Isudhan Gadhvi, on Thursday lost in his constituency of Khambalia and the party's state chief Gopal Italia, who was contesting from the Katargam in the Surat district, also lost. The poll performance of both the leaders was keenly watched with the AAP having held an extensive campaign in the state. Even as Gadhvi had predicted win for his party in more than 100 of 182 seats in the state, early trends showed that AAP was leading in less than 10 seats. It ended up winning just four seats but Arvind Kejriwal said that the poll results showed that the AAP had become a “national party”.
In Khambalia, the BJP's Ayar Mulubhai Hardasbhai Bera of the BJP won after he got over 70,000 votes. Gadhvi - who was a well-known TV journalist before joining politics - ended with nearly 58,000 votes. He was declared the AAP's CM candidate after a poll was conducted just like the AAP did in Gujarat.
In Katargam, Italia lost to the BJP's Vinodbhai Amarshibhai Moradiya
As counting of votes began at 8 am in Gujarat, which is the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and union home minister Amit Shah, the BJP had gained in more than 110 seats with the Congress at the second spot. In the latest updates, however, the BJP soared past the 150 mark while the Congress got less than 10 seats.
Bhupendra Bhai Patel is set to take oath as the Chief Minister again on December 12. He was congratulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah.
{{/usCountry}}Bhupendra Bhai Patel is set to take oath as the Chief Minister again on December 12. He was congratulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah.
{{/usCountry}}Exit polls had predicted a huge mandate for the BJP in the state. This will be seventh term for the party in Gujarat. Early trends on Thursday were in line with predictions for the AAP too.
After pollsters' predictions were out, Gadhvi had said earlier this week: "Difficult to predict results through exit polls... (but) BJP won't form government. We will win over 51 seats in phase 1 and over 52 in phase 2. Exit polls will be proved wrong... BJP is declining in the state," While casting his vote earlier in the day, he had said: "I expect AAP to win 51+ of 89 seats in first phase and 52+ in second."