BJP crosses majority mark in Gujarat Assembly, set for record win

Ahmedabad, Dec. 8 (PTI): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday crossed the majority mark in Gujarat by bagging 93 of 107 Assembly seats whose results have been declared so far and appeared on track for a historic victory as it led in 64 other constituencies.

In the 182-member state Assembly, the simple majority mark is 92.

The Congress, on the other hand, was poised for its worst-ever performance in the state as it has won on nine seats and was leading on just eight others.

New entrant Aam Aadmi party (AAP) has won four Assembly seats so far and was leading on one.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel defeated his nearest rival Amee Yagnik of the Congress in the Ghatlodia seat in Ahmedabad city by a record margin of 1.92 lakh votes.

Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia won from Porbandar, while the party’s tribal leader Anant Patel emerged victorious in Vansda in Navsari district.

The Aam Aadmi Party’s CM face Isudan Gadhvi lost the election from the Khambhalia seat.

The BJP has so far received 52.50 per cent of the votes counted, while the Congress was at distant second at 27.29 per cent vote share followed by the AAP at 12.91 per cent.

If the current trends continue, the BJP would not only beat its best showing till date — 127 seats in 2002 – but also surpass the all-time record set by the Congress in 1985, when it won 149 seats under the leadership of late Madhavsinh Solanki.