Congress Down, but Not Out..?
The bjp prevailed, but it saw its support fall into the double digits for the first time in more than 20 years. "Contrary to what some people may have thought, the last election was close. After PM Modi intensified his campaigning, surat ultimately saved the bjp, according to veteran political journalist Iftikhar Gilani. The BJP-Congress divide widened from 1995 until the most recent elections in 2012 and 2017, however it has since closed. Notably, narendra modi has not served as Gujarat's chief executive since 2014.
Furthermore, it is untrue that the congress is the weakest party in gujarat as a whole. Its stronghold has been the rural belt. In these elections, the party outperformed the bjp in terms of seats won. Here, the number of the congress increased from 57 to 71. The bjp fell from 77 to 63 votes. It is true that the bjp has been strong in urban areas, winning the majority of the 42 urban seats in each election.