The Bharatiya Janata Party won a landslide victory in Gujarat, extending its own run in power and leaving the Indian National Congress in collapse.

It won 156 of the 182 seats.

That was 64 more than it needed for a majority, on 52.5% of the vote.

Patidar leader Hardik Patel, expelled from Congress on 16 May for anti-party activity after criticising its leadership, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on 2 June.¹

The Aam Aadmi Party allied with the Bharatiya Tribal Party in May, aiming at tribal-belt seats, then called off the partnership in September before candidate lists were finalised.²

A colonial-era pedestrian bridge over the Machchhu river in Morbi collapsed on 30 October, killing at least 141 people; Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the site days later and announced compensation.³

The Election Commission announced the poll schedule on 3 November, setting two phases, 1 December and 5 December, with counting on 8 December.⁴

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal named Isudan Gadhvi as the Aam Aadmi Party's chief ministerial candidate on 4 November; he later contested Khambhalia and lost.⁵

BJP's winning streak in the state continued, and the AAP won its first seats this time.

It has now won 7 elections in the state in a row.

Of the seats that changed hands statewide, 63 swung from the INC to the BJP, out of 81 in total.

The closest race was at Rapar, Gujarat, decided by 577 votes.

Ghatlodia, Gujarat was the most lopsided contest, won by 74.7% of the vote.

Tharad, Gujarat recorded the highest turnout of any seat, at 87.5%.

Statewide, NOTA — None of the Above, a ballot option letting voters formally reject every candidate on offer — drew 5,01,202 votes, 1.6% of the total.

Narendra Modi was sworn in as BJP's Gujarat Chief Minister on 7 October 2001, and the party has not lost a Gujarat election since.⁶