The upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Gujarat are garnering significant attention as the state serves as a key political battleground. Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, has traditionally been a stronghold for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has claimed all of the Lok Sabha seats in the state. This time around, the BJP continues to rely heavily on the enduring influence of Prime Minister Modi, who hails from Gujarat.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won resoundingly in all 26 of the state’s seats, garnering 62.21% of the vote compared to the Congress party’s meagre 32.11%. The BJP’s victory in Gujarat was not a surprise, as the party had previously won all of the seats in the 2014 elections as well.

However, the upcoming elections present an opportunity for the opposition parties, including the Aam Aadmi Party, the Indian National Congress, and other state-level regional parties, to retake Gujarat. The Congress, in particular, suffered a severe blow in 2019 and 2014 when it failed to secure any seats in the state.

The general elections of 2024 will see a single phase of voting in Gujarat on May 7. The state has a total of 26 Lok Sabha seats, with Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Scheduled Castes (SC) being allocated two seats and four seats respectively.

As the BJP prepares for the upcoming elections, the party has made some significant changes in its candidate selection. In its second list of contenders, the BJP removed five incumbent Members of Parliament, signaling a change in strategy. This move follows the party’s release of its first list, which included 15 nominees for the 15 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

Overall, the Lok Sabha elections in Gujarat will be closely watched as they will determine if the BJP can maintain its stronghold in the state or if the opposition parties can make a successful comeback.