Fate of Congress, BJP in 2019 LS Polls Rests in Hands of Gujaratis

A loss in Gujarat could spell doom for the BJP in the 2019 general elections.

Gujarat is now at the center of a political battle — the likes of which have not been seen in the last two decades. For the first time, Narendra Modi is not contesting the State Assembly polls and its effects can be seen across the state, especially after the PAAS movement took off two years ago when Chief Minister Anandiben Patel was at the helm of affairs in Gujarat.

The Patidar agitation’s after-effects were reflected in the immediate local body elections towards the end of 2015, which saw the Congress make a strong comeback in rural Gujarat, whereas the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) barely managed to hold on to power.

The Assembly elections are crucial for the BJP, as Modi came to power after heavily marketing the ‘Gujarat model’ of development for years, before he became the Prime Minister of the country.