Pune: The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) win in Gujarat State assembly election has brought cheer to the Gujarati community in the city but the members acknowledged that the anti-incumbency factor played a major role in the election results than Goods and Service Tax (GST) and Demonetisation.
Managing Director of Poona Gujarati Bandhu Samaj and a friend of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Haribhai Shah, said that the entire credit goes to Narendra Modi and his team including BJP National President Amit Shah.
He said, “The anti-incumbency factor though played a major role in reducing the number of seats for BJP. However, it was Narendrabhai who pulled out the win from a passing defeat. I must appreciate Congress Party’s success in the election and statements of Mani Shankar Aiyar and Kapil Sibal which further confirmed the win of BJP in the State.” GST and Demonetisation had no effect on the results, he added.
Shah added, “BJP always has been strong in urban arbut I think that learning a lesson from this win, the party should now introduce new and young faces in constituencies besides focusing on rural areas and farmers.”
Gopesh Mehta, a trader, said, “The setback for BJP is due to the economic reforms which the party introduced. These reforms have got appreciation abroad, but our people have failed to realise it. Corruption is reducing and it will take one and half years for common people to understand it.”
Former president of Maheshwari Samaj BB Somani said, “The anti-incumbency factor played a major role in the setback to BJP in Gujarat as change is inevitable. But BJP votes have not reduced, in fact, they have increased. The one thing which can be vividly seen is that there is no role of others or third party in Gujarat.”
“Congress gave a good fight and it is a good sign as we need a good opposition party to show the weakness,” added Somani. GST and Demonetisation had no role in this elections. It has given a smack to BJP,” he said.
Meanwhile, former Congress city president Abhay Chhajed said, “This is a moral defeat of BJP as it failed to secure even 100 seats. Their party president Amit Shah had said that the party will win 150 seats. Congress Party’s good performance dented BJP’s performance. It is the success of our party President Rahul Gandhi.”
Chajed said, “PM had to make many trips to Gujarat leaving his important work in Delhi. He had to appeal on the emotional front, keeping aside the developmental issues on which BJP was resting for past 22 years.”
