Ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah made it to the highest echelons of power in the national capital, their home state of Gujarat has held a special place on India´s electoral map.
Considered the home base of BJP, Gujarat will go to polls in Phase 3 on April 23 and the two-way battle between the BJP and the Congress in the state will be one of the most keenly-watched contests in the country.
Since the battle for Gujarat is a matter of prestige for the Modi-Shah duo, the BJP cannot afford to appear weak in the coastal state. The sentiment was clear when PM Modi said that the loss of even a single seat in the state will invite taunts and questions from his critics. Meanwhile, a resurgent Congress is looking to consolidate on the gains of the 2017 assembly elections when it almost pushed the ruling party to the wall.
However, both the parties have their work cut out for them. While the BJP is battling anti-incumbency and factors like agrarian distress, the Congress appears weaker compared to 2017 due to a spate of defections, including that of Alpesh Thakore who formed the troika of Hardik-Alpesh-Jignesh that helped the party in the 2017 assembly elections.
