Aditya Tanton New Delhi, December 5 The exit polls on Monday gave both Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh to the BJP in what would be historic and record victories if those predictions hold good on December 8, the day of the results. Apart from the Aaj Tak-My Axis exit poll, four others predicted a BJP victory in the hill state of Himachal, where no incumbent government has retained power since 1985. The poll of five polls—India Today-My Axis. Republic TV-P Marq; X-Jan ki Baat news? Times Now-ETG and India TV projected an average of 36 seats for the BJP — just one short of a majority and 29 for the Congress in a 68-member assembly. AAP has failed to make any impact in Himachal, with the polls giving the Arvind Kejriwal-led party a duck and three others. If the exit polls hold, the BJP, fueled by a highly personalized campaign in Himachal by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, would have created a record by becoming the first government since 1985 to retain power. Congress, according to exit poll predictions, is set to lose Himachal and will continue to remain in power only in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. In Gujarat, the exit poll today gave 131 seats out of 182 to the BJP – with the saffron brigade breaking its own record by winning a record high of 127 seats in the state in 2002 under Narendra Modi as CM. Modi during the Gujarat campaign urged people to help CM Bhupendra Patel break “Modi’s 2002 record”. Congress, which had won 77 seats in 2017, could settle for 41 in Gujarat this time with AAP winning an average of seven seats, as predicted. The exit poll average predicts others will win three seats. The board’s takeaways from the exit poll predictions would be – continuation of the BJP as the dominant political force, continued electoral decline of the Congress Party and a lingering air of invincibility around PM Modi who held 20 rallies in Himachal and more in Gujarat , driving from the front. . AAP’s innocent show in Himachal could mean a reflection of the woes its government is facing in neighboring Punjab. In Gujarat, AAP’s inability to make a significant impact, as polls suggest, reflects the state’s historical trend of not favoring triangular contests. #assemblypolls #BJP #Gujarat #Himachal