Improvement in the law and order situation, basic infrastructure development to ensure bijli, sadak and paani (electricity, roads and water) besides the Modi factor led to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) landslide victory in Gujarat as the party leads in a record 156 seats despite issues relating to rising inflation and unemployment.
This will be the first time any party has managed to grab more than 150 seats in the Gujarat Assembly elections.
The Gujarat victory is also a reflection of the power of the women voters who have been driven by the improved law and order situation in the state.
In October, Gujarat became a 100 per cent Har Ghar Jal state with official data showing that water connection was available to all 91,73,378 houses in the state. The state has also managed to provide power 24X7 supply to almost all households.
Gujarat is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state. Modi served as chief minister between 2001and 2014 in the state.
“While the Modi factor is a big reason for this victory, bijli, sadak, paani, (electricity, road and water) – the most important plank for any election campaign—was what made the BJP win Gujarat. There is 24X7 power supply to the remotest of all places including the tribal areas. That apart, drinking water is also available to the households,” political analyst Sajjan Kumar told India Narrative.
The AAP won five seats while the Congress has been decimated with 16 seats.
“The Congress’ main opposition is now the AAP and not the BJP. A large chunk of the Congress votes was diverted to the AAP and this in turn also boosted the BJP,” Kumar said, adding that the hype around freebies failed to pull voters in a predominantly “mercantile community.”
The issue of freebies did not make any dent among the voters despite unemployment being a major issue. Joblessness has further risen in the wake of the Covid pandemic. The issue, though a critical one, was overshadowed by safety and security.
“Many lost their livelihoods and jobs in the last two years due to the entrepreneurial nature of the state but people have been largely happy with the safety and security, road connectivity, drinking water and power supply,” another observer said. He said that these have drawn women voters towards the BJP.
According to the India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), Gujarat is the world’s largest producer of processed diamonds, accounting for 72 per cent of the world’s processed diamond share and 80 per cent of the total exports share. With a contribution of 65 to 70 per cent to India’s denim production, the state is also the largest manufacturer of denim in the country and the third largest in the world.
The state has more than 100 product clusters and 60 notified special economic zones (SEZs). The total exports from the state stood at $ 65,248.53 million in the current financial year till August.
Also read: BJP poised to shatter all-time record in Gujarat polls as party leads in 159 seats
