India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Occasion (BJP) is heading for a record-breaking landslide victory in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence state of Gujarat for a seventh straight time period.
The suitable-wing social gathering is main comfortably in 156 of the 182-member state meeting seats, in response to knowledge launched by the election fee on Thursday.
The ultimate outcomes are anticipated in a while Thursday. Within the final state elections held in 2017, the BJP gained 99 seats.
Consultants say the gorgeous victory within the western state would bolster the BJP’s recognition forward of normal elections scheduled for the summer season of 2024, during which Modi is eyeing a 3rd time period as prime minister.
Developments within the two-phase state polls confirmed the opposition Congress social gathering, which gained 77 seats in 2017, is main in simply 17 constituencies of Gujarat.
New entrant the Aam Aadmi Occasion (AAP), which runs the federal government within the nationwide capital of Delhi and in Punjab after wins there earlier this yr, is main in solely 5 seats.
In essential civic ballot outcomes which had been declared on Wednesday, the BJP misplaced management of the municipal company in Delhi to the AAP.
Modi and his closest aide, residence minister Amit Shah, had campaigned aggressively for the BJP in Gujarat for practically a month, holding a number of rallies and roadshows.
“Thanks Gujarat. I’m overcome with a variety of feelings seeing the outstanding election outcomes,” Modi tweeted on Thursday. “Individuals blessed politics of improvement and on the identical time expressed a want that they need this momentum to proceed at a higher tempo.”
Ajay Gudavarthy, who teaches political science at Jawaharlal Nehru College in New Delhi, informed Al Jazeera the BJP’s comfy win in Gujarat exhibits a deeper consolidation of the Hindu vote.
The state noticed one of many worst non secular violence in unbiased India’s historical past in 2002, months after Modi took over as its chief minister.
Rights teams say practically 2,000 individuals – most of them Muslims – had been killed and dozens of girls raped that yr following the burning of a passenger practice carrying a lot of Hindu pilgrims.
Gudavarthy mentioned “there’s now a brazen articulation of Hindu votes for the BJP” throughout the nation.
“Even fashionable leaders from the opposition are dropping as soon as the Hindu card is coming to play. One should concede that the [Hindu] sentiment may be very deep,” he mentioned.
‘Security our solely concern’
Muslims, who comprise practically 10 % of Gujarat’s 60 million inhabitants, face rising hatred and institutionalised discrimination in what is taken into account India’s most communally polarised state.
Kaleem Siddiqui, a minority rights activist in Gujarat’s predominant metropolis of Ahmedabad, informed Al Jazeera the BJP ran an in depth anti-Muslim marketing campaign to garner votes within the state polls.
“The voting has been carried out utilizing a communal angle. There is no such thing as a Muslim illustration in politics. We don’t have a voice and the federal government needs to suppress us additional in a polarised atmosphere,” he mentioned.
“The Muslim minorities have accepted the federal government just isn’t for us. We don’t even have any expectations from the federal government. Our concern has at all times been our security.
“The hatred has been expanded by the BJP within the final 5 years from the city to rural areas. We’re actually fearful about this,” he mentioned.
Yagnesh Dave, spokesman for the BJP in Gujarat, mentioned his social gathering has gained even in “Muslim areas” the place the Congress social gathering used to win.
“Individuals have chosen us. It exhibits that Muslims are additionally supporting us,” he informed Al Jazeera.
Nevertheless, he mentioned the social gathering’s election manifesto has promised to create so-called “anti-radicalisation cells” which he mentioned was “to remove potential threats and anti-India forces”.
The formation of a job drive to scrutinise the curriculum in Muslim faculties throughout the state was additionally within the manifesto, Dave added.
“The anti-radicalisation job drive is being created to examine ‘love jihad’ and shield Hindus. There’s nothing in opposition to Muslims. Even in Muslim areas the place Congress used to win, individuals have chosen us. It exhibits that Muslims are additionally supporting us,” he informed Al Jazeera.
“Love jihad” refers to an unproven conspiracy concept pushed by the Hindu proper to explain an alleged phenomenon during which Muslim males lure Hindu ladies into marriage to transform them to Islam.
In the meantime, within the northern state of Himachal Pradesh which additionally went to polls, the Congress is previous the midway mark by main in 40 of the 68 seats, whereas the BJP is main in 25.
The BJP and its allies management greater than a dozen of India’s 29 states.
The Congress is struggling to make a comeback, with its high chief Rahul Gandhi at present holding a Bharat Jodo Yatra (India Unity March), a cross-country stroll the social gathering says is geared toward addressing the hatred and divisions in society.
The three,500km (2,175-mile) march on foot began within the southern state of Tamil Nadu in September and is scheduled to succeed in Indian-administered Kashmir in February.
