The Gujarat bypoll results came as pleasant surprise for the Congress leaders, as three out of the 10 poll bound seats — nine Assembly segment and Vadodara lok Sabha constituency — went to the oldest political party as against anticipation that the BJP would retain all the seats.
After a dismal performance in 2014 lok Sabha elections in which the party failed to win even a single seat in the State, there was a celebration mood in Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) office in Ahmedabad. On the other hand, senior BJP leaders in Gujarat had difficult time, especially at a time when Narendra Modi arrived first time in his home-State after he took over as the Prime Minister that too on the eve of his birthday along with the party president Amit Shah.
If sources in the saffron party have to be believed the party high command has demanded explanation from senior Gujarat BJP leaders including the Chief Minister Anandiben Patel and asked to submit a report explaining the reasons for the unimpressive show in the by-elections. The BJP leaders were sure that they would will all the 10 seats with comfortable margin. The Chief Minister repeatedly asked people to ensure of all BJP candidates’ victory as it would be the greatest gift to the Prime Minister on his birthday. The cause of concern for the party is even in the name of Modi, the party couldn’t produce expected result.
However, victory on Modi’s two constituencies, which he vacated after the biggest ever victory of BJP in lok Sabha elections — Maninagar Assembly seat, from which Modi won thrice and Vadodara lok Sabha constituency, from where he won with record margin of 5.70 lakh votes – came as face saver for the State BJP leaders. Vadodara BJP candidate Ranjan Bhatt won with 3.29 lakh vote margin while in Maninagar seat BJP’s Suresh Patel secured victory with 50,000 votes over his Congress rival Jatin Kella. The defeat came from three assembly seats —Deesa in North Gujarat as well as Jam Khambhalia and Mangrol in Saurashtra region. The saffron party retained six seats that include Matar, Anand, limkheda, Tankara, Talaja and Maninagar.
Meanwhile, State BJP spokesman IK Jadeja termed the results in favour of his party. According to him, generally in Assembly elections BJP secures 80 to 85 per cent seats since last three elections. “Even in this by-elections we secured almost 80 per cent seats. In bypoll local factors count rather than overall trend,” said Jadeja.
The by-elections were the first major test for Patel since she took over the mantle from Modi in May, this year, but has failed to measure up to the popular support Modi had been enjoying in the State for the last 14 years. Though, she led the saffron brigade to victory in the Junagadh Municipal Corporation elections soon after she became the Chief Minister.
The reason why the victory on three Assembly seats came as huge breather for the Congress is that the party is losing its reach at the grassroots level too in the State, conceding its hold over taluka (tehsil) and district panchayats gradually. In fact, the last time that the Congress was elected to complete power in Gujarat was in 1985 when former External Affairs Minister Madhavsinh Solanki was re-elected bagging the still unbreakable record 149 of the 182 seats.
Elated president of GPCC Arjun Modhvadia said that bubble of Modi wave burst not only in Gujarat but also in other States referring bypoll results of Uttar Pradesh. leader of Opposition Shankersinh Vaghela said that BJP paid the price for not controlling inflation and unemployment. Former Gujarat Minister Shaktisinh Gohil said that BJP leaders had taken people for granted and declared on their own that they would win all 10 seats.