Buoyed by its landslide victory in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand assembly polls, the BJP government is mulling over the option of preponing Gujarat assembly polls scheduled to be held in December this year.
The buzz in the government is that the assembly polls is likely to be advanced in May to take the advantage of pro-BJP wave reflected in the local body elections in Maharashtra and assembly polls held in five states where BJP formed government in four.
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.
"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.
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.
"Only PM and Amitbhai can say as the main decision rests with them but I feel that they too are getting convinced of holding the polls a few months ahead than its schedule," a top insider and trusted aide of Amit Shah told The Hindu.
However, only factor that is coming in the way of early polls is the high temperature the state witnesses during months of April and May.
After Madhavsinh Solanki-led Congress party’s record breaking victory of 149 out of 182 seats in the state assembly in 1995, the BJP remains undefeated since 1998.
