Gujarat elections 2012: Did Keshubhai help or harm Narendra Modi’s chances?

AHMEDABAD: There are few believers in the possibility of Gujarat throwing up a hung verdict . The record turnout perhaps promises another decisive mandate which exit polls are also showing.

Full Coverage of Gujarat Elections 2012

Gujarat has always voted decisively and this one looks to be in favour of Narendra Modi. If that is the case, Gujarat has probably elected a PM and not just a CM. If not, and this is a possibility being discussed more in villages than in cities, this was a vote for change brought about by the Keshubhai Patel-led GPP.

Central to the GPP's campaign to oust Modi was the dream of a hung assembly where, with only a handful of MLAs, they could come in a bargaining position to dictate terms with the BJP on who would be the chief minister — certainly not Modi. But if the verdict goes clearly in favour of Modi, there are Congressmen who are ready to get up and say that Keshubhai eventually only ended up splitting the anti-Modi vote.

While a section believes the 84-year-old man, fired by his desire for revenge , was their clear trump-card, others have started saying the Patel upsurge only managed to consolidate other castes. Whether Keshubhai delivered a body blow to Modi or helped his sworn political enemy and successor will be a question only EVMs can answer on December 20.

There is no doubt that most of the 84 candidates that the GPP has put up will lose their deposit — even create a record on this count on the number of deposits lost by a party. Either way the result goes, GPP's votes, apart from the number of MLAs that acompany Keshubhai into the assembly, will be under close scrutiny in close contests where victory margins will be low.