Gujarat Election Results 2022 Highlights: BJP storm back to power with 156 seats, Congress gets 17 seats and AAP bags 5

Riding high on the charisma of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP on Thursday retained power in Gujarat for a record seventh straight term pulverising the opposition to secure the biggest majority ever in the state.

The BJP set new records in the home state of Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah with its "historic" and "phenomenal" victory as it stormed back to power with 156 seats. The Congress party finished second, winning 17 seats, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) that made its debut with a high-decibel campaign won 5 seats. Independents won three seats and the Samajwadi Party picked up one.

Gujarat state BJP president C R Paatil said Bhupendra Patel, the party's 60-year-old soft-spoken face in the state, would remain as the chief minister and his swearing-in ceremony would be held on December 12. Patel won the Ghatlodia seat in Ahmedabad by a huge margin of 1.92 lakh votes.

The BJP improved its vote share to 53 per cent from 49 per cent last time, while the Congress party's vote share fell sharply from 42 per cent to 27 per cent, as a good chunk of its voters appeared to have switched to AAP, which secured 13 per cent of the votes counted.

Modi said he was overcome with lot of emotions on the "phenomenal election results" in Gujarat.

Here are the key highlights of the Gujarat Elections Results 2022:

*Counting concludes in Gujarat, BJP storm back to power with 156 seats, Congress gets 17 seats and AAP gets 5.

*BJP wins the Limkheda Assembly seat in Gujarat's Dahod district where 2002 riots victim Bilkis Bano once lived.

*BJP swept Saurashtra region, winning 40 of 48 seats, regaining its hold over a region where the Congress held sway in 2017 polls, bagging as many as 28 seats.

*BJP made a clean sweep in Kutch district bordering Pakistan by winning all the six Assembly constituencies in the region.

*"The biggest credit for this victory goes to public's trust in the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his popularity and credibility. Congratulations to him and thanks to the public," Rajnath Singh has said.

*BJP MLA Sangita Patil wins from Surat's Limbayat constituency for the third consecutive term.

*BJP's Kantilal Amrutiya wins Morbi assembly seat in Gujarat, defeating Congress' Jaynatilal Patel by 62079 votes.

*Imran Khedawala, the sitting Congress MLA from Jamalpur-Khadia seat in Gujarat, on Thursday defeated BJP candidate Bhushan Bhatt by 13658 votes.

*OBC leader Alpesh Thakor wins by 43,322 votes from Gandhinagar.

*Hardik Patel on Thursday defeated Amarsinh Thakor of the Aam Aadmi Party in urban Viramgram assembly by 51707 votes

*Sitting BJP MLA Kisorebhai Kanani on Thursday defeated Alpesh Kathiria of the Aam Admi Party in Varachha Road constituency by 16834 votes

*AAP state chief Italia loses in Katargam, BJP's Vinod Moradiya wins second term

*Sitting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Gujarat's Bhavnagar Rural constituency and prominent Koli leader Parshottam Solanki on Thursday defeated his Congress rival Revatsinh Gohil by 73484 votes.

*In Danilimda, Congress' Shailesh Manubhai Parmar defeated Nareshbhai Vyas of the BJP by 13,487 votes.

*"People blessed the politics of development and at the same time expressed a desire that they want this momentum to continue at a greater pace. I bow to Gujarat's Jan Shakti," PM Modi says in a tweet.

*Yogesh Patel won from Manjalpur by 1,00,754 votes

*BJP rebel Dhavalsinh Zala, who contested from the Bayad assembly seat in Gujarat, on Thursday defeated the ruling party's Bhikhiben Parmar by 5818 votes.

*Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani overcomes early losses, wins Vadgam assembly seat for Congress

*Ravindra Jadeja's wife Rivaba Jadeja, made an impressive debut in her political career by notching victory from Jamnagar North constituency with a margin of over 61,000 votes

*BJP wins Jhagadia Assembly seat in Gujarat for 1st time; party candidate Ritesh Vasava defeats veteran tribal leader and seven-time MLA Chhotubhai Vasava by 23,500 votes

*Change of candidate pays off; BJP wins Bharuch assembly seat by a big margin.

* BJP's Yogeshbhai Patel wins Anand seat defeating Congress candidate Kantisodha Parmar.

* Taking responsibility for party's disastrous performance, Gujarat Congress in-charge Raghu Sharma resigns.

* AAP's chief minister candidate Isudan Gadhvi loses from Khambhalia constituency

* BJP's crorepati candidates Rameshbhai Virjibhai Tilala wins Rajkot South seat by a margin of 78,864 votes

* BJP wins Ankleshwar, Bardoli, Gadhada, Gandevi, Gondal seats

* BJP's Arvind Shantilal Ranaemerges win Surat East constituency

*Congress's Jignesh Mevani wins Vadgam against BJP's Manibhai Vaghela.

*In land of Amul, BJP tastes success after 5 years. BJP's Yogesh Patel set to wrest Anand seat from Congress

* Oath taking of Bhupendra Patel on December 12 at Helipad ground Gandhinagar.

* Gondal seat: BJP's Geetaba Jayrajsinh Jadeja defeats Congress' Desai Yatish Govindlal by a margin of over 43,000 votes

*BJP candidate Rakesh Gunvantbhai Desai defeats Congress's Dipak Barot in Navsari by 72,313 votes.

* BJP's Patidar leader Hardik Patel wins from Viramgam

* BJP's Kanaiyalal Bachubhai Kishori defeats Congress's Harshadbhai Valchandbhai Ninama by 29,350 votes from Dahod.

* Gujarat CM and BJP candidate from Ghatlodia Bhupendra Patel wins by a record margin of over 2 lakh votes

* BJP workers start celebration as party looks set to retain power in the state with an emphatic victory

* BJP wins Morbi seat where over 130 died in bridge collapse a month ago

* BJP's Alpesh Thakor leading, but Jignesh Mevani is trailing

* Counting begins in Gujarat at 8 AM with opening of postal ballots.

* Few days back, exit polls had predicted a huge victory in Gujarat. Here are all the Gujarat Exit polls predictions:

India Today My Axis India: BJP – 129-151; Congress – 16-30; AAP – 9-21; Others – 2-6

ABP News-CVoter: BJP – 128-140; Congress – 31-43; AAP – 3-11; Others – 2-6

Republic - P MARQ: BJP – 128-148; Congress – 30-42; AAP – 2-10; Others – 0-3

News24 – Today's Chanakya: BJP – 150; Congress – 19; AAP – 11; Others – 2

Times Now - ETG: BJP – 139; Congress – 30; AAP – 11; Others – 2

TV9-Bharatvarsh: BJP – 125-130; Congress – 40-50; AAP – 3-5; Others – 3-7