Gujarat local body poll results: BJP takes the lead
Votes for 81 municipalities, 31 district panchayats, and 231 taluka panchayats in Gujarat are being counted today. The polling took place on Sunday with the municipalities recording a voter turnout of 58.82 percent. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) posted early gains and established a wide gap with the closest rival, Congress. Here are more details on this.
BJP leading in 54 of 81 municipalities
The BJP is leading in 54 of 81 municipalities, the Congress in two, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has also opened its account with one seat, NDTV reports. Of the 31 district panchayats, the BJP is leading in 12. The saffron party is also leading in 51 of 231 taluka panchayats, with the Congress ahead in seven.
Elections were held on 8,235 seats
According to the State Election Commission (SEC), there are a total of 8,474 seats across 81 municipalities, 31 district panchayats, and 231 taluka panchayats in Gujarat. However, candidates on 237 seats remained unopposed, and no form was filled for two seats in taluka panchayat. Thus, elections were held on a total of 8,235 seats, the SEC said.
AAP makes inroads, wins 27 seats in Surat
Last week, the BJP had swept polls across the municipal corporations of Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, Vadodara, Bhavnagar, and Jamnagar, winning 483 of the total 576 seats. Meanwhile, Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP, which contested local body polls in the state for the first time, also made inroads in Surat by winning 27 seats at the cost of the Congress, which failed to win any seat there.
Gujarat Assembly polls due to be held in 2022
Kejriwal, celebrating AAP's performance, indicated he was preparing his party for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly polls, due next year. On his victory trip to Surat on Thursday, he said the party would seek votes for the next elections on the basis of the performance of their 27 newly-elected corporators. Apart from the AAP, Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM also contested in the Gujarat local body polls.
