Amit Shah thanks Gujaratis for wholehearted support as BJP wins

New Delhi [India], December 8 (ANI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday expressed gratitude to the people of Gujarat as the BJP inches closer to a historic victory in the state, and said that the mandate displays the "wholehearted" support of every section of society to the party.
The BJP has won 37 seats so far, according to the data shared by the Election Commission till 2.45 pm, and the party is leading on 119 seats.
Thanking the party workers and top leadership of the party, Shah said that they worked tirelessly for the grand victory.
"I salute the people of Gujarat on this historic victory. Congratulations to the Chief Minister @Bhupendrapbjp ji, State President @CRPaatil ji and all the workers of @BJP4Gujarat who worked tirelessly for achieving this grand victory achieved under the leadership of the Prime Minister @narendramodi ji and under the chairmanship of @JPNadda ji," he tweeted, roughly translated from Hindi.
Stating that Gujarat has always created history, Shah said that the voters have broken all records of voting in these elections.
"Gujarat has always done the work of creating history. In the last two decades, under the leadership of Modi ji, the BJP broke all the records of development in Gujarat and today the people of Gujarat have blessed the BJP and broken all the records of victory. This is a victory of the unwavering faith of the public in the development model of PM Modi," he tweeted.
Shah also took a veiled swipe at the Opposition and said that the people have rejected those who did appeasement politics and offered freebies to the people.
"Gujarat has rejected those who make empty promises, distribute freebies and do appeasement politics, and has given a mandate to PM Modi's BJP which has ensured the development and public welfare. This massive victory has shown that every section, be it women, youth or farmers, all are wholeheartedly with BJP," Shah tweeted.
Meanwhile, the new chief minister of Gujarat will be sworn in on December 12 at 2 pm, state BJP chief CR Paatil said on Thursday as the party swept the Assembly polls with a record-breaking margin.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will take part in the oath-taking ceremony.
Bhupendra Patel will take oath as chief minister of Gujarat for the second time. He was first elected as BJP legislative party leader on 12 September 2021.
"Gujarat CM will take oath at 2 pm on 12th December. PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will take part in the oath ceremony," CR Paatil said while addressing a joint press conference with Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel after the trends suggested BJP's majority in the state, empowering the party to form the government for the seventh time in the state.
"Bhupendra Patel will be the chief minister again," he confirmed.
The BJP, if manages to win 157 seats in the state, will not only thrash its own record of winning the highest ever by the party in the 2002 Assembly elections with 127 seats but also break record of getting the highest number of seats in the Gujarat Assembly elections in 1985 by the Congress' Madhav Singh Solanki government which had won 149 seats.
The exit polls had suggested that the BJP will come to power for the seventh time in the state with a thumping majority.
The counting of votes for the Gujarat Assembly elections began on Thursday at 8 am. The counting in Gujarat began at 37 centres in 33 districts.
Assembly elections in Gujarat were held in two phases on December 1 and 5 respectively.
The approximate voter turnout in Gujarat by the end of the second phase of the Gujarat elections was recorded at 59.11 per cent.
During the first phase of polling on December 1, Gujarat saw an overall turnout of 63.14 per cent. While polling for 68 assembly seats in Himachal Pradesh was held on November 12.
Meanwhile, the exit polls have indicated a clear win for the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Gujarat.
BJP has been in power in Gujarat for 27 years with Prime Minister Narendra Modi remaining in the Chief Minister's post for the longest time before becoming the Prime Minister. Congress gave a tough fight to the ruling BJP in the last assembly elections in 2017. However, AAP may spoil the game for Congress by taking away a significant vote share in their favour. (ANI)