26-0 hat-trick in Gujarat? BJP upbeat but Cong sees opening

WHO VISITED AHMEDABAD, GANDHINAGAR, VADODARA, RAJKOT, SURAT, AND INDUSTRIAL HUBS DHOLERA AND SANAND, SUMS UP THE MOOD IN GUJARAT AHEAD OF THE MAY 7 POLLS

- NIVEDITA MOOKERJI

Criss-crossing more than 750 kilometres of Gujarat by road, from Surat to Rajkot, threw up a range of cuisine options, as well as desserts and beverages to keep the temperature down.During a five-day trip to report from ground zero, the state with the longest coastline offered a glimpse into some of the other things that it's best known for temples, architecture, sculpture, handicraft, and business hubs focused on textile to diamond, pharmaceuticals to advanced manufacturing.

In that setting, Gujarat, the home state of the top two in the Union government Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah has not lost even a single seat in the last two Lok Sabha elections. The question this time is whether the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would repeat the 2014 and 2019 success in 2024 and win all 26 seats. Even before the campaigning took off in a meaningful manner, the question changed a bit: Will the BJP be able to retain all 25 seats? The Surat seat had already gone to Mukesh Dalal of the BJP even before the polls after a controversial disqualification of the Congress candidate and the withdrawal of all others in the fray.

Although Surat, a traditional hub for textile and diamond traders, would not have an election, the neighbouring Navsari (called the twin city of Surat) and Bardoli are the two Lok Sabha constituencies where Surat will have some play.

When asked about expectations in the election season, Savji Dhanji Dholakia, a famous diamantaire in Surat, told Business Standard that the diamond industry is not looking for anything from the next government.