Gujarat election results: Counting of votes underway

International Desk: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) appeared set to win the election in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat on Monday, trends showed, but with a reduced margin.

The counting of votes for the 182-seat Gujarat assembly is underway after a two-phase election to pick the new government in Gujarat. The BJP pulled ahead in the vote count after a tight race with the Rahul Gandhi-led Congress in early trends.

The results of the Gujarat elections are seen as a litmus test for the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The Election Commission of India is announcing the results on eciresults.nic.in. According to figures released by the Election Commission, an average 68.41% polling was recorded in the elections.

Seven exit polls say the BJP will retain power in Gujarat, where the saffron party has ruled for almost two decades but is battling an agrarian crisis and protests from its loyal Patidar vote bank. Monday’s early trends showed Rahul Gandhi’s Congress was giving the BJP a tough fight in Gujarat.

Agencies



risingbd/Dhaka/Dec 18, 2017/Nasim