BJP claimed it will win all seats in the region, while Congress said it would improve upon its performance in 2017 Vidhan Sabha polls.
Saurashtra region, comprising six of Guj's 26 Lok Sabha seats, witnessed low voter turnout on Tuesday. Both the Congress and BJP claimed that it was their voters who turned up to vote. BJP claimed it will win all seats in the region, while Congress said it would improve upon its performance in 2017 Vidhan Sabha polls.
Rajkot (CM Vijay Rupani's home constituency) recorded the highest turnout at 63.12%, still lower than the state's 63.67% average turnout. Amreli, where Congress' Paresh Dhanani is facing BJP's Naran Kachhadiya, recorded 55.73% turnout, lowest across Gujarat. Kutch recorded 57.53% voting.
Saurashtra is critical for both parties. While BJP won all six seats in 2014 and is making an all-out effort to retain them, in 2017, rival Congress bagged 27 out of 47 state legislative assembly constituencies. Both parties told DNA that lower turnout will benefit them.
"It's our strategy to make BJP supporters vote by 11:30am through our robust network of agents who ensure none are left. It was the Congress party which failed to get its voters to the booth," said Prashant Vala, spokesman of the BJP in Gujarat.
Congress claimed that the relative lower turnout in the region indicates that voters are disillusioned with BJP government and therefore, did not come out to vote. "This is a predominantly rural area and farmers are facing tremendous hardships. For past two years, they are facing severe droughts. They are not getting remunerative prices for their crops. Only a small fraction of farmers have crop insurance. On the other hand, businesses are facing a downturn. They are disappointed by jumlas of BJP leaders, so they are no longer supporting BJP. Previously they had big hopes from BJP. They are not voting this time, while Congress supporters are voting for a change," said Manish Doshi, spokesman for the Congress in Gujarat.
KEY BATTLEGROUND
- Saurashtra is critical for both parties. While BJP won all six seats in 2014, while Congress won 27 out of 47 seats from the region in the 2017 Assembly elections
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