What They Said: The Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Elections

According to the state assembly election tally posted on the Election Commission Web Site at 2:05 p.m., the Bharatiya Janata Party is headed for a victory in Gujarat, while in Himachal Pradesh the Congress party has surged ahead.

Ahead of the final results, politicians had some strong reactions:

P. Chidambaram, Finance Minister: “Congress is the winner. Congress has gained several seats, and the BJP has been contained, the last numbers I saw, below 117,” he said. “If the BJP does not cross 117 and the Congress has improved its tally, Congress is the clear winner in Gujarat too.”

Ravi Shankar Prasad, General Secretary, Bharatiya Janata Party: “Narendra Modi is opposed in Gujarat by two former RSS leaders , Keshubhai Patel and Shankarsinh Vaghela. There is no original Congress material.”

Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister, Himachal Pradesh: “I congratulate the Congress party,” he told reporters. “We were assured of our victory because during last five years every family benefited from the development work.”

“We will examine what were the shortcomings on our part. In democracy ultimately it is the voters decision which is final.”

Virbhadra Singh, senior Congress leader, Himachal Pradesh: “I was given a task to rebuild the party in the state,” he said in a televised press conference. “We could do it with the help of the masses.”

“The top leader of our party, Sonia Gandhi, will decide about the chief minister,” said Mr. Singh who has been the chief minister of the state five times.

Vijay Rupani, General Secretary, Bharatiya Janata Party in Gujarat: “Totally negative campaign against the B.J.P. by both the Congress and Gujarat Parivartan Party was bound to help us. And this is precisely what has happened. It is a serious mistake to underestimate common people and try to fool them with any nonsense,” Mr. Rupani told India Ink.

“These results show people's tremendous confidence in Narendra Modi. It is also an affirmation of the development that people want in the state. I am sure Gujarat will progress by leaps and bounds under Modi.”

Heeraben, mother of Narendra Modi: “There was no doubt that my son and his party would win hands down,” Mr. Modi's octogenarian mother told a local Gujarati television channel.

“Narendra was always destined for greatness. I could see that when he was a child. He used to read biographies and autobiographies of great people, particularly patriotic leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. He was great follower of the ideals of Swami Vivekanand,” she said.

“I'm sure my son will become the prime minister of India. My blessings are always with him.”

Kash mira Nathwani, General Secretary, Congress Party: “We've no other option but to accept the people's verdict,” she told India Ink.

“But people will realize what a grave mistake they have made by giving a vote to Modi,” Ms. Nathwani said. “I think people have not voted BJP but Modi. He keeps misguiding and misleading people under the pompous guise of development and his high-profile publicity campaign at the expense of public's hard earned money.”

“I think our infighting in the last few weeks before the elections may have turned the voters against us. Everything was going on smoothly but suddenly this infighting started. This may be one of the reasons.”