India

India: PM Modi's BJP Wins Record Landslide in Gujarat

DEC 8 2022·Updated JAN 9 2023

Story

Image credit: AP [via The Guardian]

The Facts

India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won a record landslide victory in PM Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat as Thursday's election results showed it received 156 seats out of 182 — a more than 80% majority and the highest of any party in the state's history.
Guardian
Despite retaining its 27-year control in Gujarat, the BJP lost to its main opposition, the Congress Party, in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh.
Al Jazeera
Meanwhile, the relatively new Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) — which already has control of Delhi and Punjab — campaigned heavily in Gujarat. Despite only winning five seats, it secured 13% of the vote, becoming a national party.
Hindustan Times
The Congress Party lost 60 seats in Gujarat and is reportedly losing ground nationally as a dominant political force as the AAP looks to replace it as BJP’s main opposition.
Guardian
While Modi — who took office in 2014 — remains popular in his home state, some have accused him of stoking religious divide and, according to a Delhi think tank, economic concerns are resulting in younger voters turning away from the BJP.
Guardian
Modi tweeted, “Thank you Gujarat,” following the results as supporters celebrated outside the BJP office in the state capital Gandhinagar. Experts predict the BJP’s strong showing is a good sign for Modi’s re-election campaign in 2024.
Reuters

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Left narrative

Unfortunately, hate continues to win in Gujarat. Modi has engrained Islamophobia into state policy and employed it to color people's votes, despite obvious and growing dissatisfaction with his politics. This is a dangerous time for Muslims in Gujarat as the BJP only stokes hatred and division.

Al Jazeera

Right narrative

The patriotic people of Gujarat delivered a decisive victory to the BJP and PM Modi’s agenda of development. Amid the celebrations, however, were the loud voices of the opposition, who can't seem to accept fair and democratic elections when those elections don't go their way.