Counting of votes for the recently-concluded Assembly elections in Gujarat began early on Thursday. Early trends show that the BJP, which has been ruling the rich State since 1990, is set to return to power for the 7th time in a row.

Of the 182 seats in the Assembly, the BJP is set to win not less than 130. This makes it one of the biggest majorities in the Assembly for any party.

In 2002, the BJP won 127 seats under the leadership of Narendra Modi after the Hindu-Muslim riots triggered by the massacre of 56 Hindus by a mob at Godhra railway station. Last time, in 2017, the tally was just 99 seats because Congress put up a very strong fight. The saffron party was almost on the verge of losing.

This time, the AAP's rise has come as a godsend for the BJP. The opposition vote got cut between AAP and Congress. If the vote-cutting is very effective, the BJP's final tally could cross 140 seats.