The Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh tussle for power has reached its climax. The BJP swept across Gujarat breaking its own record and retaining power for the 7th time in the state while Congress has claimed the hill state.
Here we look at the performances of the constituencies in both the states with the highest voter turnout based on the Election Commission's data.
Gujarat voted in two phases and in the first phase, the total voter turnout stood at 66.14 per cent. Tribal-dominated Narmada district recorded the highest turnout of 78.24 per cent, followed by Tapi, another such district which saw a 76.91 per cent turnout. Navsari recorded 71.06 per cent voting, the EC said.
*Narmada’s Dediapada had the highest voter turnout at 99.01 per cent. It is one of the five seats AAP managed to win in Gujarat. AAP’s Chaitarbhai Damjibhai Vasava won defeating BJP’s Hiteshkumar Devjibhai Vasava with a huge margin of 40,282 votes.
*Tapi district, which recorded the second highest voter turnout with 76.91 per cent, voted heavily for the saffron party. In Tapi’s Nisar, BJP’s Dr Jayram Chemabhai Gamit won with a margin of 23,160 votes, beating Congress’s Sunilbhai Ratanjibhai Gamit. In Vyara BJP’s Kokani’s Mohanbhai Dhedabhai won with a margin of 22,120 votes defeating AAP’s Bipinchandra Khushalbhai Chaudhari.
*Navsari recorded 71.06 per cent voting. In Navsari, BJP’s Desai Rakesh Gunvantbhai won with a margin of 72,313 votes defeating Congress’s Dipak Barot.
In the second phase of voting in Gujarat, the voting percentage was further reduced to 58.8 per cent. In the final phase, Sabarkantha in north Gujarat recorded the highest voting at 65.84 per cent and Banaskantha at 65.65 per cent.
*In Sabarkantha’s Himatnagar BJP’s Vinendrasinh Dilipsinh Zala won with a margin of over 8,000 votes, defeating INC’s Kamleshkumar Jayantibhai Patel. Sabarkantha’s Khedbrahma witnessed a neck-and-neck fight with a thin margin of 1,664 keeping INC ahead, Khedbrahma was one of the last seats declared by the Election Commission. INC’s Dr Tushar Amarsinh Chaudhary won here defeating BJP’s Ashvin Kotval.
Also Read — BJP's record win in Gujarat shows it's favourite for 2024; Himachal loss gives glimmer of hope to Congress
Himachal Pradesh had a single-phase election though it had performed better in the past with more than 70 per cent voting. This year the electorate casting their vote stood at 65.92 per cent with around 55 lakh voters of the state exercising their right to vote.
Chasak Bhatori in Bharmour Assembly Constituency in Chamba recorded a turnout of 75.26 per cent followed by Solan with 68.48 per cent voting and Una with 67.67 per cent voting. Dharamshala saw 70.92 per cent, Shimla (Urban) 68.29 per cent.
*In Bharmour Constituency BJP's Dr Janak Raj won with a margin of 5,172 votes defeating Congress’s Thakur Singh Bharmouri.
*Solan gave the maximum of its votes to INC’s Dhani Ram Shandil giving him a victory with a margin of 3,858 defeating BJP’s Rajesh Kashyap.
*In Una, BJP’s Satpal Singh Satti won with a margin of 1,736 defeating INC’s Satpal Singh Raizada.
*Dharamsala chose Congress’s Sudhir Sharma as he won with a margin of 3,285 votes. BJP's Rakesh Kumar lost here.
*In Shimla Urban INC’s Harish Janartha won with a margin of 3,037 votes defeating BJP’s Sanjay Sood.