Standup9ja:Gujarat Election Results 2017, After nervous start, BJP back in control with 105 seats lead

Standup9ja:Gujarat Election Results 2017, After nervous start, BJP back in control with 105 seats lead

If early trends are anything to go by, then it appears that the BJP is marching ahead in Gujarat. 

The saffron party is leading in over 100 seats and Congress is now under 80. But, the results could go either way as numbers are changing very quickly. In the last one hour, BJP made a comeback after falling behind Congress for a brief period of time. However, if the BJP manages to maintain the current lead then it could be said that the saffron party may continue to rule Gujarat. Whatever may be the final results, it seems Prime Minister Narendra Modi is for the first time facing heat in his home-turf Gujarat.

The Election Commission begun the counting of votes polled in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh earlier this month. The counting of votes are underway at 37 centres across the state's 33 districts, amidst tight security. Exit Polls recently showed that ruling BJP will win the Himalayan state with impressive margin and retain its power in Prime Minister Modi's home state.

All eyes are on Gujarat results as the saffron party has been ruling the state for over two decades and the prime minister comes from here and if anything goes against the BJP then it will be seen as a setback ahead of 2019 general election. While BJP did not find any resistance in Himachal, it was faced with tough challenge from Hardik Patel, distressed farmers in Gujarat.

The BJP's main rival party the Congress stitched a broad social coalition with prominent Patidar, OBC, and Dalit leaders - Hardik Patel, Alpesh Thakor and Jigesh Mevani - in its bid to remove the saffron party. Patel led a long agitation of his community for reservation, while Thakor led counter protest against inclusion of Patidars in the OBC reservation list. Mevani raised his voice against Dalit atrocities. In Himachal, the polls were conducted in single phase last month. In Gujarat, the elections were held in two phases that concluded on December 14. An average 68.41 per cent polling was recorded Gujarat.