“Urban voters still feel very strong emotional connect with Narendrabhai. This is what the result tells today,’’ said political analyst Shirish Kashikar. The proof of that appeal was seen especially in the industrial belt of Surat, where despite discontent over the Goods and Services Tax and Patidar quota protests, the BJP won 15 of 16 seats.

Modi, who travelled across the state extensively and covered about 30,000 kilometers, was also successful in invoking Gujarati pride during the latter half of the campaign. “Congress did a self -goal through senior leader Mani Shankar Aiyar’s `neech’ comment against the PM’’, Kashikar opined.

Functionaries of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh who done extensive campaign inside gujarat said Modi’s administrative skills and his popularity still retained a connect with the Gujarat voter.

Another factor that likely worked in the BJP’s favour was the relatively calm governance in the last 1.5 years, after a bumpy two years that saw waves of violent protests by the Patidars and Dalits.

An editorial in Saamna, a Sena mouthpiece, took a direct barb at Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated, "The BJP won in Gujarat, but the Congress did not lose," the Sena mouthpiece also said, as it raked up party chief Amit Shah's "150+ seats" claim. "The BJP had thumped its chest and boasted it would not win less than 150 seats in Gujarat, but in the end, the party struggled to even reach 100 seats."

Patidar Hardik patel blamed EVM rigging and asked for ballot polls.

Prime Minster in his tweet said, "The victory in Gujarat is special. Starting from 1989, people of Gujarat have been blessing BJP in every Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha election. It is an honour to be serving Gujarat for so many years. We will continue to work for Gujarat’s growth".

"A question has been raised on Modi ji's credibility. Modi ji has a credibility problem," the newly elected congress president said while talking to reporters outside Parliament.

"I got to know that people in Gujarat do not approve of Modi ji's model. The marketing and propaganda is very good, but it is hollow from the inside. They could not answer to our campaign," Rahul Gandhi said.