NEW DELHI - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured a huge victory in his home state of Gujarat on Thursday, further cementing its grip on the western region it has ruled for more than two decades.
The BJP looked set to grab more than 155 seats in the 182-member assembly, while the main opposition Indian National Congress was ahead in 16 places, according to vote counting trends.
Despite contesting the Gujarat election with much fanfare, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was ahead only on five seats.
Polling was held in Gujarat in two phases on Dec 1 and 5.
BJP leaders described their seventh assembly election win as "historic" and a vote for their brand of politics.
"Gujarat has set new records of development in the last two decades under the leadership of Modi and today the people of Gujarat have blessed the BJP with a record win," party president Jagat Prakash Nadda said in a tweet.
The Hindu nationalist party has not lost an assembly election in the key state since 1995.
Modi served as Gujarat's chief minister for more than 12 years before becoming India's prime minister in 2014.
In the northern state of Himachal Pradesh, which went to the polls on Nov 12, the ruling BJP lost to the Congress party.
The Congress was winning in 39 constituencies of the 68-member legislature compared with 26 seats for the BJP. - Bernama
The BJP looked set to grab more than 155 seats in the 182-member assembly, while the main opposition Indian National Congress was ahead in 16 places, according to vote counting trends.
Despite contesting the Gujarat election with much fanfare, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was ahead only on five seats.
Polling was held in Gujarat in two phases on Dec 1 and 5.
BJP leaders described their seventh assembly election win as "historic" and a vote for their brand of politics.
"Gujarat has set new records of development in the last two decades under the leadership of Modi and today the people of Gujarat have blessed the BJP with a record win," party president Jagat Prakash Nadda said in a tweet.
The Hindu nationalist party has not lost an assembly election in the key state since 1995.
Modi served as Gujarat's chief minister for more than 12 years before becoming India's prime minister in 2014.
In the northern state of Himachal Pradesh, which went to the polls on Nov 12, the ruling BJP lost to the Congress party.
The Congress was winning in 39 constituencies of the 68-member legislature compared with 26 seats for the BJP. - Bernama