The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) faces a seventh consecutive term in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat, where it leads the western states with 155 seats. For Congress, their role as the BJP’s main challenger is finally part of the deal, with the party leading by just 18 seats (down 60).
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has launched an aggressive campaign to make it his three-way competition for the first time in Gujarat, is leading by six seats.
But Himachal Pradesh is proving to be an uphill battle for the ruling BJP, which sits side by side with Congress. After nearly four hours of counting, Congress now extends its lead over the BJP. The party currently leads with his 40 seats against his 26 seats in the BJP. Election results in the hill states will determine the revival of spectacular old parties, currently in power only in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, both of which are due to go to the polls in 2023.