During the campaign, Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah trained guns on the Congress on issues like Ram Temple, alleged Pakistani interference in the Gujarat polls and (suspended Congress leader) Mani Shankar Aiyar's remarks. (economictimes.indiatimes.com)

The counting of votes for the 182-seat Gujarat assembly is underway after a two-phase election to pick the new government in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state, with early trends on Monday showing the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress in a close contest. (hindustantimes.com)

What have been the main drivers of this election?

LOAN WAIVER | Rahul Gandhi repeated his promise that within 10 days of the formation of the Congress government in the state, the party will start the process of waiving farmer loans. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)

YOUTH POLITICS/ YOUNG TURKS | Three young leaders — Hardik Patel, Alpesh Thakor and Jignesh Mevani — infused fresh blood in the state's politics. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)

For the Congress, a favourable outcome may mark the beginning of a process of political resurgence and provide the right morale-boosting start to Rahul Gandhi's party presidency. (hindustantimes.com)

Modi and Shah's promise of a better tomorrow has also been a reason many have trusted them again. But the biggest hit has come from the youth voter who does not seem aligned with a country based on partisan politics.

The outcome

The final results of the Gujarat Assembly polls, which were being as a prestige battle between Prime minister Narendra Modi and newly-appointed Congress president Rahul Gandhi, will be announced in just a few more hours. (firstpost.com)

The two main rival parties also tried to counter each other on social media, as the Congress and its supporters launched the campaign Vikas Gando Thayo Che (development has gone crazy), while the BJP launched a counter drive of "I am development, I am Gujarat". (firstpost.com)

Anti-incumbency and youth leadership

The two takeaways are that in a democracy one has to deliver which almost no party does, it is always about broken promises because following through is impossible for them. The promises may seem doable when in opposition but when they come to power, they realise that it was not possible to deliver.

Youth leadership will have to play a role and that is a given in a country where the population is young and they are not aligned with the vision of some of the older post-independence hangover generation.

The Congress numbers show that even in Gujarat the ruling BJP party is under stress, the home state of the Indian Prime Minister of India. It speaks volumes about the state of the party. The badgering of Rahul Gandhi hasn't gone too well either, at the end of the day he is as much a son of the soil of India. The vicious attacks on him have not gone unnoticed.

BJP should probably learn from it.

The Congress will have to look for true youth leadership across India, following a democratic process. The youth leadership in Gujarat has played a role in this election and it will ahead in other states as well.