The outcome of the Gujarat assembly elections has a direct bearing on Modi’s policies in the state and the centre, the main one being that of squeezing the resources of the rural masses to enrich select urban sections. The impact or disillusionment could be understood from the fact that as many as 5.5 lakh voters pressed the None of the Above (NOTA) button, pushing the BJP’s victory margins to as low as 250 to 900 on at least 10 seats as against the Congress. The NOTA votes in such constituencies are three to five times the victory margins. The Congress had no credible chief ministerial face and could not turn the tide in its favour.
