New Delhi, Jun 3 (IANS): The BJP has never lost Assembly elections in Gujarat ever since it first came to power in 1995; and correspondingly, the Congress has never won the state since then despite a sizeable and loyal vote bank.

According to a survey conducted by CVoter on behalf of IANS to gauge public opinion, the recent developments in the state seem to have prompted a majority of the respondents to project a bleak scenario for the prospects of the Congress in Gujarat where elections are due before the end of the year.

Internal fighting and exits seem to have damaged the party in the eyes of the respondents of the survey. The most recent development has been the exit of young and firebrand Patidar leader Hardik Patel from the Congress and his joining the BJP soon after that.

According to the survey results, 46 per cent of the respondents said that the entry of Hardik Patel will benefit the BJP. Among NDA supporters, 56.5 per cent feel the same while 39 per cent of opposition supporters agree with the contention.

Significantly, almost 40 per cent of opposition supporters feel that Hardik Patel joining the BJP will harm the party.

The answers were more definitive when the respondents were asked if the Congress has lost all chances of winning the state in the upcoming Assembly elections. An overall majority of about 51 per cent felt that the Congress has lost all chances, while 31.5 per cent felt that there is still some chance for the Congress.

Predictably, 41.5 per cent of opposition supporters were of the opinion that the Congress still has a chance.

In the 2017 Assembly elections, the Congress had given a scare to the BJP and restricted it to below 100 in the 182-member Gujarat Assembly. It also won a formidable 40 per cent vote share. But the BJP retained power because it won 50 per cent of the votes.