Split in Muslim votes in Gujarat in favour of AAP and AIMIM is also understood to have affected the Congress and strengthened BJP.
GANDHINAGAR — As the BJP heads for a landslide win in Gujarat Assembly polls almost wiping out the opposition, the one striking feature emerging was whether the AAP played villain for the Congress.
According to the Election Commission of India’s data, the BJP has won 42 seats and was leading on 115 seats at around 2.55 p.m. The Congress has won three seats and was leading in 13. The AAP was leading in five seats, independents were ahead on three and the SP was leading on one seat.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel polled 1,98,272 votes, whereas Congress candidate got 19,911 votes till this report was filed. BJP’s other faces who won the elections were Shankar Chaudhary and Kumar Kanani (Kanani defeated AAP leader Alpesh Kathiriya). BJP’s Alpesh Thakor and Hardik Patel were leading in counting.
Congress’ Arjun Modhwadia won the Porbandar seat with a margin of 8,000 votes by defeating BJP’s Babu Bokhiria. Congress candidate Chandrika Baria lost the election to BJP candidate Mahendrabhai Bhabhor. Bhabhor polled 60,021 votes, whereas the Congress candidate 32,965 votes, and AAP candidate Shailesh Bhabhor fetched 28,574 votes.
Congress’ another candidate, who became victim of vote division by AAP and AIMIM, was Dariyapur constituency candidate Gyasuddin Shaikh. He polled 55,847 votes, whereas BJP candidate Kaushik Jain polled 61,090 votes, AAP’s Taj Mohammad got 4,164 and AIMIM’s candidate secured 1,771.
According to reports, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has failed to register its win in any of the 16 Muslim-dominated seats it contested in. However, AAP, along with Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM, had a big role in splitting the votes that traditionally go the Congress.
In many Muslim-dominated seats, the ruling party appeared to be winning at the cost of the Congress. — IANS (Inputs added)
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Photo: BJP workers with colour celebrate the party’s win in Gujarat assembly elections, at party headquarters in Gandhinagar on Thursday. — IANS