| NOTE BAN, GST HIT BJP’S TALLY

While the BJP made its presence in urban areas, the demonetisation and GST cost it dearly in the rural belts. Saurashtra and Kutch regions helped the Congress make gains and take its tally to 77 from the 61 in 2012.

The BJP in the end just about managed to get a simple majority in Gujarat and maintained its winning streak in the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But one thing seemed clear that the twin strikes of demonetisation and the roll out of Goods and Services Tax (GST) contributed in souring the saffron party’s dream of winning 150 seats to a stark reality of a meagre 99.

While the BJP made its presence in urban areas, the demonetisation and GST cost it dearly in the rural belts.

Sensing the anger prevailing among the Patidar-dominated textile traders of Surat after the GST roll out, the lastminute tinkering with the rates by the Centre seemed to have helped the BJP bag 15 of the 16 seats in the region.

But, considering the fact that the party was aiming to take its 2012 election tally of 117 to 150 seats, a target set by BJP chief Amit Shah, it did not even touch the 100-seat mark.

Saurashtra and Kutch regions helped the Congress make gains and take its tally to 77 from the 61 in 2012. The trading community overcame its wrath against the BJP over GST and voted overwhelmingly for it in urban centres such as Ahmedabad, Surat and Rajkot. The rural and tribal belts of Kutch and Saurashtra felt the pinch of that demonetisation that ate into their small savings.

The urban populace did not seem to have been affected by demonetisation and experts pointed out that the pinch was felt only initially between November 2016 and January 2017. Once the `500 and `2,000 denomination notes came into circulation, the pain vanished, they said.

Moreover, it was more than a year since note ban happened and the Congress could take little advantage in urban centres.-