In the 2017assembly elections, the BJP had won 99 out of 182 total seats in the 182-memberGujarat assembly. Congress was triumphant on 77 seats, with others winning on 6 seats. ThoughCongress lost the elections, it managed to win the highest number of seats in over 30 years. The BJP, despite a resurgent Congress, was able to increase its vote share by a slight margin. This is appreciable as the party has been in power in the state since 1995. Meanwhile, after its win in Punjab, theAam Aadmi Party (AAP) has launched an aggressive election campaign in the state with party national convenerArvind Kejriwal regularly holding rallies. This has set the stage for a three-cornered contest in the coastal state. Election analysts believe that AAP is likely to eat into Congress' vote share, ultimately benefiting the BJP on several seats. For BJP, it will be a battle of prestige since the party has won every election in the state since 1995, maintaining a firm grip on power for 27 long years. Since Gujarat is also the home state of Prime MinisterNarendra Modi and Union home ministerAmit Shah, the challenge before rival parties like Congress and AAP is even greater.