India’s main opposition, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), scored a political hat-trick by winning Gujarat state assembly elections by a huge margin under the leadership of controversial Hindu nationalist Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
The BJP got the mandate to rule Gujarat for another five years, bagging 116 seats in the 182-member state assembly, while the state’s main opposition Congress party won only 60 seats.
After his emphatic win, the BJP chief minister tweeted, “no need of looking behind… We want infinite energy, infinite courage, infinite patience…”
Modi, in power since 2001, has been tipped as a potential future prime minister. Under his leadership, Gujarat has developed highly and progressed into one of India’s economic powerhouses.
However, he is often been described by his critics as a divisive figure and blamed for doing little during the 2002 communal riots in the state, in which over 1,000 people, mostly minority Muslims, were killed.
Modi, who was at the helm at the time, denies all allegations.
BJP wins Gujarat for 3rd consecutive term
