The Bharatiya Janata Party has retained control of three urban local bodies in Gujarat, securing a decisive result in Gandhinagar and holding its position in the Thara and Okha municipalities. The outcome left the Congress behind and the Aam Aadmi Party without a seat in the Gandhinagar contest.
Results declared on Tuesday showed the BJP winning 38 of the 44 seats in the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation. Congress secured 5 seats, while an independent candidate won one. The AAP, which had won 1 seat in the previous Gandhinagar civic election, did not open its account this time.
The result marks a change from the previous Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation election, held in October 2021. The BJP had then won 41 of 44 seats, while Congress took two and the AAP won one.
BJP retains control in Thara and Okha
In Banaskantha district's Thara municipality, the BJP won 19 of 24 seats. Congress won the remaining 5 seats.
At Okha municipality in Devbhumi Dwarka district, the BJP won 29 of the 32 seats for which voting took place. Congress won 3 seats in that contest.
Four additional Okha seats were filled without a contest because only BJP candidates remained in the race. Including those seats, the BJP won 33 of the municipality's total 36 seats.
The results mean that the BJP has retained control of all three urban local bodies covered by the elections. Voting for the three bodies took place on Sunday, while counting began at 9 in the morning on Tuesday.
Political significance of the result
Although the contests were limited to three municipal bodies, the result carries significance for the BJP and its political opponents. The outcome came as opposition parties, led by Congress, intensified their attacks on the BJP government over the NEET paper leak and the Special Intensive Revision, referred to in the report as SIR.
The Gujarat result may encourage the BJP's organisational base, according to the political assessment contained in the report. It also comes after the BJP performed well in recent local-body elections in Rajasthan.
For Congress, the results show that it remained the BJP's main challenger in the three Gujarat civic contests but did not come close to matching the ruling party's seat tally. The AAP's failure to win a seat in Gandhinagar also represents a weaker result than its performance in the previous corporation election.
Conclusion
The BJP has retained all three Gujarat urban local bodies, led by its 38-seat performance in Gandhinagar. Congress won seats in each contest, while the AAP was shut out in Gandhinagar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How many Gandhinagar corporation seats did the BJP win?
The BJP won 38 of the 44 seats in the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation.
Q. How did Congress perform in Gandhinagar?
Congress won 5 seats and finished second in the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation election.
Q. Did the AAP win any Gandhinagar seats?
No. The AAP did not win a seat in the Gandhinagar contest.
Q. How many seats did the BJP win in Thara?
The BJP won 19 of Thara municipality's 24 seats.
Q. How many seats did the BJP secure in Okha?
The BJP won 29 of the 32 seats for which voting took place. Four other seats were filled without a contest, giving the party 33 of 36 total seats.
Q. When did counting begin?
Counting began at 9 in the morning on Tuesday.
