For Havan's sake: Rahul Gandhi congratulated for winning both Gujarat and Himachal elections
At a havan performed outside Rahul Gandhi's home, Phool Singh, a Congress leader, displayed a poster congratulating him for 'winning' the elections - even before counting began.
Congress worker Phool Singh organised a havan right in front of the official residence of Rahul Gandhi, Congress's new president, and congratulated him for winning the Assembly elections in both Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. Phool Singh began his celebratory fire at 6 am, two hours before counting began.
We repeat that the Congress worker's name is spelt correctly in the earlier paragraph. It is not Fool Singh but Phool Singh.
Counting of votes for the states of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh began at 8 am and early trends suggest BJP has taken a big lead in both the states. Early trends however can be hugely misleading.
Phool Singh's declaration of a Congress victory notwithstanding, all exit polls suggest the Congress will lose Himachal Pradesh to BJP and fail to snatch Gujarat from the ruling party.
Rahul Gandhi has campaigned vigorously in Gujarat as he rediscovered his mojo early on. He also had the support of the Young Turk Trio of Hardik Patel, Alpesh Thakor and Jignesh Mevani.
The strong resentment against the Goods and Services Tax introduced by the Narendra Modi government is expected to help the Congress in the urban areas but nobody believes Urban Gujarat is ready to leave the BJP. Not yet.
The Congress is expected to do better than that in Saurashtra and North Gujarat areas. The agrarian distress in Saurashtra and the Patidar reservation agitation are two factors, experts believe, will also go in Congress's favour.
The results will give a clearer picture by 11 am, by which time, BJP president Amit Shah has claimed he would declare victory.
Amit Shah has decided to wait for the better picture. Phool Singh, we repeat, Phool Singh did not have that patience. He has gone ahead and garlanded his party president's photo. Just in case, the winning moment fails to arrive.
India Today brings you the best coverage of the Gujarat assembly election result 2017 - follow our live blog, watch live TV and read all our stories on the election results. And here's our Himachal Pradesh assembly election result live blog.
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