AHMEDABAD: A look at the poll record from 2017 onwards would tell you that the BJP has not lost even a single election from Gujarat. And if you scan the state of affairs in the opposition, mainly the Congress and AAP, you’d find the former struggling to survive even as Kejriwal’s party tries to fill the space. The election figures of the last five years indicate that no political party would be able to stop the BJP juggernaut in 2022.
“After a modest performance in 2017, the party was expected to get fewer seats in Lok Sabha elections. But Gujaratis handed over all seats to BJP to have a Gujarati PM,” says Bakul Tailor, political Analyst. “The abolition of Article 370, the triple talaq legislation, airstrikes on Pakistan, CAA, various development schemes and finally Ayodhya prompted people to vote for Modi.”
Political analyst Dilip Patel says in 2020, CR Patil, an MP from Navsari and a confidant of Modi, became the state party chief. “This led to some power struggle. The involvement of the top leadership ensured the discontent died down,” he said.
In 2017, BJP won all local body elections with a clear majority. In 2021 for the first time, the BJP bagged 41 out of 44 seats in the Gandhinagar municipal corporation. Gandhinagar was a Congress stronghold.
Meanwhile, AAP has found itself firefighting bickering. “A day after AAP announced an 850-member organisation for Gujarat polls, internal quarrels started. Some leaders resigned too. AAP is not very active in most constituencies. And splitting anti-incumbency votes will only benefit the BJP,” said political observer Mayur Jani.