Buoyed by its landslide victory in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand assembly polls, the BJP govt is mulling over the option of preponing Gujarat assembly polls scheduled to be held in December this year.
“The possibility of early elections is being examined by the party leadership. There is a sense that the party should go for the assembly polls immediately to seize the pro-BJP wave,” a senior minister in the state government told The Hindu.
Amid buzz and speculations, the ruling party has launched its campaign with a main slogan “UP mein 325, Gujarat mein 150” and thus setting the target of winning 150 seats in 182 member assembly. The party has put big-sized hoarding and posters on display with picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah in major cities and also on major highways in the state.Concurring with the view, a top bureaucrat told The Hindu that two factors are pushing the government and ruling party leadership for
Concurring with the view, a top bureaucrat told The Hindu that two factors are pushing the government and ruling party leadership for option of early polls: Unpredictable monsoon and impact of Goods and Services Tax (GST) on the state’s economy.
“Monsoon is unpredictable and if it plays truant, it can damage as drought is always a nightmare for any incumbent government. Another equally important factor is GST, which is likely to hit the state’s revenue initially,” the official said, adding the state government has roped in experts from IIMA to study the putative impact on GST in the state’s economy.
Officially, the BJP leaders are tight lipped about the early polls but Chief Minister Vijay Rupani recently told media persons in the assembly that the BJP was prepared to face the polls whenever they are held.
