India Today’s exit polls give BJP a clear victory for the 5th time in Gujarat

Exit polls conducted by India Today’s ‘Axis My India’ gave a clear verdict in favour of the ruling BJP in Gujarat. It now appears that the BJP might get to rule the State for the fifth consecutive term.

Assembly polls are soon to be held in Gujarat’s 182 constituencies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already commenced his campaign where the BJP has been ruling for the fourth consecutive term and is making all-out efforts to capture power for a record fifth consecutive term. BJP has been in power in Gujarat since 1998 when Keshubhai Patel was the CM; Modi took over in 2001 after Patel’s resignation.

Thanks to various reforms of Modi, he won a hat-trick of successive Assembly polls in 2002, 2007 and 2012 and demitted office in May, 2014 to take over as Prime Minister.  BJP is keen to continue its winning streak despite the dissatisfaction of the dominant Patel community which is demanding reservation. Exit polls conducted by India Today from 15th September to 15th October have predicted BJP as the clear winner.

BJP is predicted to win 115-125 seats, much similar to its tally of 117 and 116 in the 2007 and 2012 Assembly polls. Congress might get 65 seats, the exit polls said, improving marginally on its tally of 60 seats in the present Assembly.