Ahmedabad: Ruling Bharatiya Janata Part (BJP) on December 15 appeared heading for an unprecedented two-thirds majority in the Gujarat Assembly having already won 57 of the 85 seats declared to retain power for the third consecutive time.

Riding a 'hindutva' wave in the wake of worst ever communal riots in the state following Godhra carnage, Chief Minister Narendra Modi and a number of his cabinet colleagues romped home with huge margins leaving by the wayside rival Congress which has so far won 19 seats. Modi won by over 75,000 votes. Two seats have gone to other candidates.

The saffron party had either won or was leading in over 125 of the 181 constituencies and rival Congress was limited to about 50 seats despite a spirited campaign led by Shankersinh Vaghela, whose son Mahindersingh was trailing in Mashur constituency.

Godhra, which became almost the election theme, also went in favour of ruling party with Bajrang Dal leader Haresh Bhatt winning the seat on BJP ticket.

Prominent among the BJP winners were former Chief Minister Suresh Mehta (Mandvi), Ashok Bhatt (Khadia), Vajubhai Valla (Rajkot-II) and Anandiben Patel (Patan) (all members of Modi cabinet).

Amarsinh Chaudhari was among the few prominent Congress winners as he retained his tribal Khedbrahma seat even as his senior party colleague Narhari Amin lost from Sabarmati.

Significantly, the BJP's gains were tempered by some setbacks in its traditional stronghold Saurashtra while it made appreciable gains in Central Gujarat and Kutch where it was tipped to fare not so well.

PTI