Election
State story

Gujarat: the BJP years, 1995–2022

14 Assembly elections · 19622022 · every seat count and share is read from the official record.

Who held the house

bar width = years in charge · tap one for that election
1962INC
1990JD
1995BJP

Bharatiya Janata Party has led 7 of 14 elections; power changed hands 2 times.

Seats over time

the leading parties
INCpeak 149 · 1985
14919622022
BJPpeak 156 · 2022
15619622022
SWApeak 66 · 1967
6619622022
INDpeak 16 · 1995
1619622022

Gujarat has voted in 14 Assembly elections between 1962 and 2022. Bharatiya Janata Party has been the largest party in 7 of them — more than any rival.

Power has changed hands 2 times. The steadiest run was Bharatiya Janata Party's — the top party from 1995 to 2022 across 7 elections.

In 1990, Janata Dal broke through — 70 of 182 seats — ending Indian National Congress's hold, which fell from 149 to 33.

In 1995, Bharatiya Janata Party broke through — 121 of 182 seats — ending Janata Dal's hold, which fell from 70 to 0.

The sharpest single swing was 1990: Janata Dal went from 0 to 70 seats, a gain of 70.

The closest verdict was 1990: Janata Dal finished just 3 seats ahead of Bharatiya Janata Party.

Most recently, in 2022, Bharatiya Janata Party holds 156 of 182 seats on 52.5% of the vote — a clear majority (92).

Pivotal elections

who held the house, seat by seat
First on record · 1962open →
113INC
  • INC11373%
  • SWA2617%
  • IND75%
  • PSP75%
  • Others11%

Indian National Congress · 50.8% of the vote · majority

The wave · 1990open →
70JD
  • JD7038%
  • BJP6737%
  • INC3318%
  • IND116%
  • Others11%

Janata Dal · 29.4% of the vote · short of majority

Most recent · 2022open →
156BJP
  • BJP15686%
  • INC179%
  • AAP53%
  • IND32%
  • Others11%

Bharatiya Janata Party · 52.5% of the vote · majority

The turn of 1990

1990 seats minus 1985
seats lostseats gained
JD
0 → 70
+70
BJP
11 → 67
+56
INC
149 → 33
−116
IND
8 → 11
+3
YVP
0 → 1
+1
JNP
14 → 0
−14

Every time power changed hands

  1. 1990JD took the house with 70 of 182, ending INC’s run (14933).
  2. 1995BJP took the house with 121 of 182, ending JD’s run (700).

Party identity

renames, splits and mergers along the way
  • Indian National Congress saw All India Trinamool Congress break away in 1998; saw Nationalist Congress Party break away in 1999; saw YSR Congress Party break away in 2011; saw NCO break away in 1969; saw INCU break away in 1979; saw ICS break away in 1978; saw BAC break away in 1966; saw UTC break away in 1969; saw HVP break away in 1996; saw AINRC break away in 2011; took in MSCP in 2014; took in ICS in 1986; took in NNO in 1976; took in HVP in 2004; took in VHP in 1978.
  • Bharatiya Janata Party broke away from Janata Party in 1980.
  • Swatantra Party merged into Janata Party in 1974; took in GP in 1962.
  • Janata Dal was formerly Janata Party (renamed 1988); saw Janata Dal (United) break away in 2003 (Samata Party + JD factions); saw Janata Dal (Secular) break away in 1999; saw Rashtriya Janata Dal break away in 1997; saw Biju Janata Dal break away in 1997; saw Samajwadi Party break away in 1992; saw Rashtriya Lok Dal break away in 1996 (via Lok Dal / Bharatiya Kisan Kamgar Party); saw Indian National Lok Dal break away in 1996; took in LKD in 1988.