Ahmedabad, Dec 23: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's 'magic', which defeated all adversaries from media to Keshubhai to ''merchants of death'' title given by the Congress with the BJP's emphatic win in the state Assembly polls, failed to work at 'Ground Zero of Godhra'. The party failed to retain its seat in Godhra constituency, which is considered as 'Ground Zero of Godhra riots'.

The constituency, which had laid a foundation for the rise of 'Modi Era' in Gujarat in the 2002 Assembly Polls, was this time won by Congress candidate C K Raulji who secured 61,886 votes defeating BJP candidate Prabhatsinh Chauhan by a huge margin of 14,501 votes. The minority-dominated Godhra constituency had given thumping victory to BJP candidate in the last assembly election as large number of majority community voters had turned out to exercise their franchise due to strong Hindutva wave created by Mr Modi during the post-Godhra time.

In 2002, BJP candidate Bhatt Hareshkumar Induprasad had got 68501 votes against the then Congress candidate Patel Rajendrasinh Balvantsinh, who secured 55855 votes to win by 12646 votes.

UNI