The Aryavarth Express
Agency(Gujarat): In the political landscape of Gujarat, the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are gearing up to challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, despite the BJP’s previous dominance in the 2022 state assembly elections. The Congress and AAP, holding a combined vote share less than the BJP in the last assembly polls, are optimistic about winning a significant number of the 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat. They aim to disrupt the BJP’s attempt to achieve a complete victory in the state.
A senior BJP official confidently stated that no coalition would hinder their party’s victory across all 26 Gujarat seats, suggesting that the Congress and AAP are avoiding the reality on the ground. Contrarily, leaders from the Congress and AAP argue that the assembly election results are outdated. They believe that current voter attitudes and their new coalition will draw more voters to support their united stance against the BJP, particularly because of the anticipated anti-incumbency sentiments against the BJP after their clean sweep in the last two Lok Sabha elections.
The elections for the Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat are scheduled to occur in a single phase on May 7. In the previous assembly elections, the BJP achieved a 52.50% vote share, while the Congress and AAP together accumulated 40.2%. The BJP won 156 out of 182 assembly seats, with Congress and AAP securing 17 and 5 seats, respectively.
Manish Doshi, a Congress spokesperson, emphasized the strategic importance of the alliance with AAP, stating that it would prevent vote splitting and strengthen both parties’ positions against the BJP. The Congress, taking the lead in 24 seats, has pledged support to AAP’s candidates in Bharuch and Bhavnagar. Shaktisinh Gohil, the Congress state president, demonstrated this support by attending the opening of the AAP candidate’s election office in Bhavnagar, his home district.
Despite the BJP’s historic victory in the 2022 assembly elections, where the division of votes between Congress and AAP was a significant factor, the alliance leaders are confident that this new partnership will eliminate such division. This change, they claim, will harness the anti-incumbency sentiment more effectively. However, CR Paatil, the Gujarat BJP president, remains unphased by the alliance, aiming for an even larger victory margin than in previous elections.
In districts like Bharuch and Bhavnagar, where AAP has fielded its sitting MLAs, the contest is particularly noteworthy. Bharuch, traditionally a Congress stronghold until 1989, and Bhavnagar, with a strong BJP presence, represent crucial battlegrounds for this alliance. Despite previous losses and the forfeiture of deposits by many AAP and Congress candidates, the alliance remains hopeful. They argue that past vote shares do not reflect the current political dynamics, which they believe have shifted in their favor for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.