Ahmedabad, Dec 15: Riding a `hindutva` wave, the BJP today swept back to power in Gujarat with a massive two-thirds majority in a win that could have a far reaching impact on national politics.
Performing a hatrick, the party won 127 seats in the 182-member assembly bettering its tally of 117 in the 1998 elections. Congress, which had 57 members in the dissolved house, fared much worse than predicted getting 50. Of the remaining four, three went to Independents and one was bagged by JD(U). Election in one seat was countermanded. The triumph of controversial chief minister Narendra Modi in a bitterly fought election in the wake of communal polarisation following the Godhra train carnage and subsequent violence makes him the undisputed leader of the state whose pursuit of hardline ‘hindutva’ stand fetched rich dividends.

This is BJP`s first major victory after a string of defeats in the last two years and the success comes ahead of crucial assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi next year and the 2004 Lok Sabha polls. Significantly in Rajasthan BJP won all the three assembly by-elections today. The newly elected BJP MLAs would meet tomorrow to elect their leader who in all probablity will be the 52-year old Modi. The swearing in is likely to take place a couple of days later.
Bureau Report