International media attributes PM Modi’s popularity for BJP’s record-breaking victory in Gujarat

India

oi-Prakash KL

International
media
has
given
credit
to
Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modi’s
popularity
for
the
BJP’s
victory
in
Gujarat.

New
Delhi,
Dec
09:
International
media
has
lavishly
hailed
the
BJP’s
victory
in
Gujarat
Assembly
elections,
largely
attributing
the
success
to
Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modi’s
popularity.
The
saffron
party
on
Thursday
returned
to
power
by
156
seats
in
the
182-member
assembly.

It
was
the
biggest
victory
in
terms
of
seats
since
Gujarat
was
founded
in
1960
as
the
BJP
broke
previous
record
of
149
seats
by
Madhav
Singh
Solanki’s
Congress
government
in
1985.
The
saffron
party
registered
its
seventh
straight
win
in
the
state
polls
and
became
the
second
party
to
win
seven
straight
assembly
polls
after
the
Communist
Party
of
India
(Marxist).

The
Straits
Times
of
Singapore,
the
Nikkei
Asia,
Al
Jazeera,
Independent,
ABC
News
some
of
the
international
media
that
posted
the
photographs
of
BJP’s
celebration
in
Gujarat.
British
publication
The
Guardian
noted
that
the
Prime
Minister
had
given
a
significant
boost
to
his
party
ahead
of
the
2024
General
Elections.

BJP
registers
landslide
victory
in
Gujarat;
Congress
wrests
Himachal

“Gujarat
is
a
BJP
bastion,
with
Mr
Modi
credited
for
transforming
the
state
into
an
economic
powerhouse
over
the
13
years
that
he
was
chief
minister
between
2001
and
2014,”
The
Straits
Times
said,

claiming
that
he
was
the
face
of
the
party.

Japan’s
Nikkei
Asia

highlighted
how
the
BJP
has
not
lost
in
Gujarat
since
1995
and
attributed
the
PM’s
popularity
for
the
saffron
party
juggernaut.
“Modi
is
wildly
popular
in
the
state,
where
he
served
as
chief
minister
for
nearly
13
years
before
becoming
prime
minister
in
2014,”
the
newspaper
said,
according
to
a
news
agency.
It
also
noted
the
series
of
election
rallies
carried
out
by
the
PM.

“Many
residents
take
pride
in
the
fact
that
the
Gujarat-born
Modi
represents
India
at
the
global
level,
and
feel
a
sense
of
responsibility
to
support
him,”
the
newspaper
added.
The
UK-based
The
Independent

pointed
out
that
the
big
win
in
Gujarat
is
a
big
boost
for
BJP
which
is
aiming
to
return
to
power
again
in
the
2024
General
Polls.

Jawaharlal
Nehru
University
professor
Ajay
Gudavarthy
told
Al
Jazeera
that
the
BJP’s
comfortable
win
in
Gujarat
shows
a
deeper
consolidation
of
the
Hindu
vote.

As
BJP
is
set
for
a
thumping
win,
a
look
at
the
last
five
polls
in
Gujarat

In
the
election,
the
Congress
party
ended
in
the
second
place,
winning
17
seats,
while
the
Aam
Aadmi
Party
(AAP)
that
made
its
debut
with
a
high-decibel
campaign
managed
to
win
5
seats.
Independents
won
three
seats
and
the
Samajwadi
Party
bagged
up
one.

Interestingly,
the
BJP
improved
its
vote
share
to
53
per
cent
from
49
per
cent
last
time,
while
the
Congress
party’s
vote
share
fell
sharply
from
42
per
cent
to
27
per
cent,
as
a
good
chunk
of
its
voters
appeared
to
have
switched
to
AAP,
which
secured
13
per
cent
of
the
votes
counted.