Gujarat Election Results highlights: BJP wins 25, Cong breaks decade long jinx

The AAP banks on positive Lok Sabha results for political relevance amidst Kejriwal's arrest

As many as 266 candidates remained in the fray for the 25 seats that now remain for the Lok Sabha contest and 24 remained in the race for bypolls in five assembly constituencies. With the Surat seat gone to the BJP uncontested, polling will now be held for 25 Lok Sabha seats and five assembly seats on May 7, an official statement said.

The state unit of the Congress lodged 19 complaints of model code of conduct violations during the polling process, including objections to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s roadshow when he voted in Ahmedabad. However, the chief electoral officer of Gujarat rejected this complaint, asserting it did not constitute an MCC violation.

In the political battleground of Lok Sabha elections, former mayors of Ahmedabad have encountered formidable challenges, struggling to garner the trust and support of voters despite their experience and leadership roles within the city. Three former mayors who contested as LS candidates suffered defeats.

As the Lok Sabha elections 2024, spread across seven phases, concluded on Saturday, exit polls indicate that Prime Minister Narendra Modi led-NDA is securing victory on all the 26 seats in PM Modi's home state Gujarat.

The Lok Sabha elections for 25 seats in the state of Gujarat concluded in a single phase, i.e., in Phase 3 on May 7. Notably, the BJP's candidate for the Surat Lok Sabha constituency in Gujarat was elected unopposed after the Congress candidate's nomination was rejected. BJP candidate Mukesh Dalal was declared elected unopposed after the nomination of Congress' Nilesh Kumbhani was rejected, and other candidates withdrew from the contest.

According to exit poll figures by Times Now ETG, NDA is set to sweep all 26 seats while the Congress-led INDIA bloc is failing to open its account in the state.

According to exit poll data by INDIA TV also, NDA is securing victory on all the seats while the INDIA alliance is unable to secure even one seat.

Apart from the Lok Sabha constituencies, the Election Commission is also holding counting for five assembly constituencies – Porbandar, Manavadar, Khambhat, Vijapur and Waghodia — where bypolls were held. In four constituencies, former Congress MLAs who quit the party to join the BJP are seeking re-election as the ruling party’s candidates.

Congress leaders from some politically crucial states on Sunday exuded confidence that the party will do much better than what was projected in the exit polls and asserted the INDIA bloc is going to form the next government.

Leaders from states such as Karnataka, Maharashtra, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Jharkhand, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Gujarat stressed that the Congress' performance would be very good, belying all the predictions in the exit polls.

The assertion was made at an online interaction Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh had before the media with key state leaders, Pradesh Congress Committee presidents and legislature party leaders of various states.

A total of 266 candidates contested in Gujarat this year, compared to 319 contestants in the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections. In Kachchh, Chavda Vinod Lakhamshi of the BJP faces off against Nitishbhai Lalan from Congress. In Patan, Bharatsinhji Dabhi represents the BJP, while Chandanji Thakor stands for Congress. In Gandhinagar, Amit Shah competes against former president of Gujarat Mahila Congress, Sonal Patel. In Rajkot, PM Modi’s close aide Parshottam Rupala is challenged by Congress leader Paresh Dhanani.

This seat is among the two where AAP contests through the INDIA bloc seat-sharing deal. Tribal leader Chaitar Vasava, a first-time MLA from Dediapada, challenges BJP leader and six-time MP Mansukh Vasava

Patan sees a fierce battle between Congress and BJP, particularly due to the significant Thakor-Kshatriya population. Former MLA Chandanji Thakor represents Congress against BJP's incumbent MP Bharatsinh Dabhi. Though a BJP stronghold, Kshatriya discontentment has altered the dynamics.

In both the 2019 and 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP dominated, securing victory across Gujarat's 26 seats, while the Congress failed to clinch any.

Gujarat, home to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, key figures in the ruling BJP has become one of the most sought states during the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections. The BJP aims to maintain its stronghold in the home turf of its top leaders, marking a matter of pride and dominance.

All major surveys indicate that the BJP is poised to return in Gujarat with a resounding majority.

According to the News24 Chanakya exit poll, the BJP is projected to secure all 26 seats in Gujarat once again.

ABP News C-Water predicts the BJP winning 25 seats, with Congress expected to secure just one seat out of the 26 in Gujarat.

Republic PMRQ's exit poll suggests a BJP victory on all 26 seats, with the Congress-AAP alliance are likely to face disappointment.

India Today Axis My India survey forecasts one seat for Congress and 25 for BJP in Gujarat.

All seats in the state were contested in a single phase - phase 3 on May 7. In the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, the BJP secured a resounding victory, sweeping all 26 seats for the second consecutive time, leaving the INC trailing behind.

The Anand Lok Sabha constituency, located in the Anand district of Gujarat, is known for its significant role in India's White Revolution and the development of the country's largest cooperative sector. The constituency was established in 1997 and has since been a stronghold for the Congress party, which has won ten times. However, the BJP has also managed to secure victory four times in 1989, 1999, 2014 and 2019. The Anand seat includes seven legislative seats, and its majority voters are Kshatriya-Thakur, followed by Patidar, Muslim, Baniya, and Brahmin. In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, BJP's Miteshbhai Patel won with 6,33,097 votes, defeating Congress's Bharatsinh M Solanki, who received 4,35,379 votes.

According to data shared by the Election Commission of India (ECI), Gujarat witnessed a voter turnout of 60.13 percent during the elections for 25 of its 26 Lok Sabha seats.

Rajkot constituency is a focal point in this election, with BJP nominating Union Minister Parshottam Rupala, though he's from Amreli. Rupala's remarks at a Dalit event stirred controversy among Kshatriyas, demanding his ticket cancellation. Despite apologies, BJP stood firm.

Jamnagar, a constituency in Saurashtra, witnessed significant Kshatriya protests against the BJP. The agitating community members disrupted BJP’s meetings in this constituency where sitting MP Poonam Maadam is seeking re-election. Additionally, pledges from the Kshatriya community to support Congress add intrigue to the race.

Gujarat voters are focused on concerns such as government exam paper leaks, job opportunities, access to drinking water, onion export bans, and Kshatriya pride this election season.

Meanwhile, in Jamnagar, the absence of a high school in their village is the primary poll issue. In Bhavnagar’s Mahuva town, known as 'the onion bowl of Gujarat', and other parts of the state, roads were blocked after the central government banned onion exports in December 2023.

In Gujarat's Lok Sabha polls, the BSP stands as the sole national party fielding a Muslim candidate. Out of the total 266 candidates, 32 are Muslim, with the majority running independently. Smaller parties like Bhartiya Jan Nayak Party (Kheda), Log Party (Navsari), Right to Recall Party (Kheda), and the Social Democratic Party of India (Patan and Navsari) also have Muslim candidates in the fray.

Following the rejection of the Congress nomination and the withdrawal of eight other candidates, including the BSP nominee, BJP candidate Mukesh Dalal was declared elected unopposed from the Surat Lok Sabha constituency.

Congress candidate Kumbhani submitted signatures of his brother-in-law, nephew, and business partner as proposers when filing his nomination on April 18. However, the BJP candidate's agent raised objections, alleging forged signatures. The District Election Officer and Collector of Surat later upheld the BJP’s objection and rejected the Congress nomination.

From the BJP, Chavda Vinod Lakhamshi has been chosen for the Kachchh constituency. Lakhamshi won in 2019 with 637,034 votes at 62.26%. Naresh Naranbhai Maheshwari from the INC was the first runner-up with 331,521 votes at 32.40%

Poonamben Hematbhai Maadam is the BJP candidate from Jamnagar. She is battling against J.P. Maraviya from Congress and Jaysukh Nathubhai Pingalsur of BSP. Poonamben Hematbhai Maadam won in 2019 with 591,588 votes, at 58.52%.

Vadodara, also known as Baroda, is a significant Lok Sabha constituency in Gujarat, housing a population of over 40 lakh. It plays a crucial role as a transportation hub with a railway line and national highway connecting Delhi and Mumbai. The first Member of Parliament from this constituency was Fatehsinh Rao Gaekwad of the Congress party. In 1991, the seat was won by Deepika Chikhalia, a BJP candidate known for her role as Sita in the Ramayana TV series. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the seat was won by Ranjanben Dhananjay Bhatt of the BJP with 883,719 votes, defeating Prashant Chandubhai Patel of the Congress who secured 294,542 votes.

Stretching from Banaskantha district in the north to Valsad in the south, Gujarat's tribal region comprises nine Lok Sabha constituencies. While the BJP emphasizes 'Modi ki guarantee', and the Congress along with its INDIA bloc ally AAP focuses on water, forests, land, and job opportunities for unemployed youth, these promises fail to resonate with tribal voters.

Hasmukhbhai Somabhai Patel is the BJP candidate contesting the Ahmedabad East constituency. Ahmedabad East constituency consists of Dahegam, Gandhinagar Dakshin, Vatva, Nikol, Naroda, Thakkarbapa Nagar and Bapunagar Vidhansabha constituencies. In 2019, he won the Ahmedabad East constituency of the Indian National Congress’ Gitaben Patel by 4,34,330 votes.