BJP rebels, and banked on own partymen; and third, it managed to reduce victory margins substantially at

many a place, giving the BJP the jitters.

In good news for the party in the tribal areas, which it had lost post-Godhra, the Congress not only retained Dahod, losing only Randhikpur with a very narrow margin, it made substantial leads in the Panchmahals, Vadodara, Bharuch and even Surat district. However, for the first time, it lost tribal seats in the Dangs district. Overall, of the 26 declared tribal reserved seats, the Congress won 16, in contrast to the 12 last time.

The Congress had fielded veterans in these seats, and it seems to have helped keep the BJP at bay.

The results also prove that rather than banking on BJP rebels, it was sticking with own partymen that paid off for the party. This proved particularly true in Anand and Kheda districts in central Gujarat.

But the heartiest news for the party must have been that it gave the BJP a close run for its money on many seats.

However, the fact that all this only translated into eight additional seats for the party from last time was obviously disheartening.

State party chief Bharatsinh Solanki’s office remained locked throughout the day, while no other senior leader turned up at the party office. In an official party release, Solanki conceded defeat, adding that he took full responsibility for it.

Senior party leader Arjun Modhwadia, who won from Porbandar, said the Congress would do introspection to determine why it lost when the party’s position appeared to be quite strong.

Uniform Applause

Congress: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was among the first to call up Narendra Modi to congratulate him. Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said: “It is a great victory for him. It is a remarkable victory.”

Left: Expressed concern over the rise of “communal politics”. “The results show that where the impact of communal politics is deep, electoral efforts alone are insufficient to defeat the communal forces,” the CPI(M) said in a statement.

Lalu Prasad: Calling Modi’s victory “spectacular”, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad said the Congress’s defeat reflected “some flaws” in the party’s electoral strategy, including giving nomination to BJP rebels.

Karunanidhi: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M Karunanidhi reacted cautiously to the results. “The Congress has won more seats this time than the last polls,” he said when his reaction was sought on the BJP’s victory.

Jayalalithaa: Profuse in her praise for Modi, the AIADMK chief said in her message: “Your spectacular victory has brought hope and cheer to the vast majority of people in this nation who now believe that all is not lost and that India can still be saved from the clutches of unscrupulous power mongers.”

Mamata Banerjee: Said she was opposed to Modi’s brand of politics. “I am against his communal politics,” she said.

Uma Bharati: Bharatiya Jan Shakti chief Uma Bharati said the win was the “victory of Hindus” and not of Modi. Bharati said Modi should thank the Congress for ensuring his victory by starting a controversy through a remark about ‘merchants of death’ during the poll campaign.

Keshubhai Patel: Stung by the results, the former CM said: “I congratulate Narendra Modi for the BJP’s victory. For the interests of the people, both the ruling and opposition parties should work together to take Gujarat forward on the road of development.”