Gujarat Assembly Elections 2022 is a three-way contest between BJP, Congress and new entrant AAP.
Voting for the second phase of the Gujarat Assembly Elections 2022 was underway on Monday for the remaining 93 seats. The first phase of voting was held for 89 seats of the 182 member Gujarat Assembly on December 1. The counting for the elections will happen on Thursday, December 8.
The BJP has been in power in Gujarat since 1995. It is the home state of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. The Gujarat Assembly Elections 2022 has three major parties involved in the BJP, Congress and new entrant Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Apart from the three, there are 36 other parties that have fielded candidates. These include Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP).
Here is Gujarat Assembly Elections 2022 explained in just 5 points
BJP set for BIG milestone
The BJP has an ongoing 27-year-old reign in Gujarat, including over a decade with PM Modi at the helm. The party will be confident of coming back to power for a seventh consecutive term. If the BJP wins, it equals the record for maximum terms held by any party in one state, equalling the record of the former Left government in West Bengal.
AAP’s most ambitious mission yet
Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP will also be confident of making an impact after the stunning upset in Punjab earlier this year. The party campaigned aggressively and fielded candidates on all seats and announced a CM face in Isudhan Gadhvi. Analysts see the party possibly playing a role in parts of South Gujarat, including Surat, and some seats in Saurashtra.
Congress hopes to retain influence in the north
The Congress party lost its influence in Gujarat as BJP rose to prominence. two decades ago. However, it has made a comeback in at least one region over the last few Assembly Elections. Congress has outnumbered the BJP in 32 seats in north Gujarat in the last two polls. There is also some backlash against the BJP in some pockets of the region which is an OBC Chaudhary community dominated one.
Disruptions, allegations amid low voter turnout
The first phase of voting for Gujarat Assembly Elections 2022 ended with six different complaints including booth capturing and bogus voting by the Congress. In total, the EC received 104 complaints in the phase including six of EVM malfunctioning, 32 of bogus voting, slow voting and power cuts, 30 for law and order issues, and 36 for MCC violations. Technical glitches forced 89 ballot units, 82 control units and 238 Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPATs) to be replaced.
Meanwhile, the state saw a lower turnout than the 2017 Gujarat Assembly Elections in the first phase. While turnout was 66.75 percent last time, it dropped to 63.31 percent in 2022. The EC has called on voters to come out in large numbers in the second phase. The total turnout across the two phases in 2017 was 68.41 percent.
PM Modi’s role as key differentiator
PM Modi, a former CM of Gujarat and champion campaigner, did his bit for the party with 51 rallies and three road shows in the state. PM Modi’s Gujarat campaign included the “longest and largest” roadshow of India in Ahmedabad where the BJP claimed 14 constituencies and a distance of 50 kms was covered.
READ | Gujarat polls: Congress candidate 'missing' after alleged assault surfaces, reveals what happened
(With inputs from agencies)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Gujarat Assembly Election 2022")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}