BJP wins in Gujarat, trounces Congress in Himachal: Highlights

The BJP will rule Gujarat for the sixth successive time as the party today secured a simple majority in the high-stakes state elections by winning 99 seats in the 182-member Assembly.

However, the tally of the saffron party dipped from 115 in 2012 as the Congress made significant gains by bagging 77 seats against its previous score of 61.

According to the Election Commission tally, the BJP won 99 seats, the Congress bagged 77 and the others accounted for the remaining six.

In Himachal, the saffron party swept the 2017 Assembly elections, comfortably cantering home with 40-odd seats in the 68-member legislative assembly.

Here are the highlights of the election results

• The BJP's 99 seats in Gujarat are 16 less than it had won last time, while the Congress has won 80, 19 more than in 2012. The BJP has 49.1 per cent vote share (47.85 per cent in 2012) and the Congress 41.4 per cent (38.93 per cent in 2012).
• Although the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) retained power in Gujarat, it lost the Unjha constituency in Mehsana district, which includes Prime Minister Narendra Modi's hometown Vadnagar, to Congress.
• The Bharatiya Janata Party's scratchy win in Gujarat elections has much to do with its dominance in the urban parts of the state. On the contrary, a majority of the gains the Congress has made seem to be coming from rural Gujarat.
• The BJP has lost most ground in the Saurashtra region, losing only three seats it had won in 2012 in north and central Gujarat. The BJP has been in power in Gujarat for over two decades.
• Congress president Rahul Gandhi has emerged as challenger to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with the Congress managing to reach its highest seat tally and vote share in Gujarat in the last two decades.
• The Congress has achieved a major breakthrough by making strong inroads in BJP's citadel of Gujarat.
• The BJP has won 44 of Himachal Pradesh's 68 seats and the Congress has won 21. The BJP, which fought its electoral battle on the plank of development in Himachal Pradesh on Monday emerged victorious with a clear mandate.
• BJP's chief ministerial face for Himachal electinons, Prem Kumar Dhumal, was defeated today from the Sujanpur seat even as his party appeared set to form the government in the hill state.
• In Himachal Pradesh, the BJP has made a comeback by nearly doubling its lead over the Congress.
• Anti-incumbency factors affected the Congress badly in Himachal Pradesh as they had to give up power to the saffron party.

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