Rural voters hold the key to fortunes of BJP, Congress in Gujarat

In Gujarat, both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Opposition Congress are already celebrating. Reason: The turnout of 64.11 per cent — the highest ever recorded in Gujarat — in the third phase voting for the Lok Sabha polls.

Only the results on May 23 could reveal which party benefitted from the record voter turnout in the state which has 26 Lok Sabha seats; even political observers are unwilling to conclude a certain winner.

But events leading up to the voting and campaigning for the election showed there could more to the record turnout than the 'Modi wave', which saw