Express News Service
MUMBAI: The BJP registered a landslide victory in the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation (GMC) polls on Tuesday where it won 41 seats out of the total 44. It also won other civic local bodies in Gujarat. The Congress, however, snatched the Bhanvad Municipality. The Gujarat State Election Commission (SEC) authorities said the polling in the GMC remained largely peaceful.
The AAP had put in a concerted effort in the GMC through an innovative campaign by its senior leaders. However, it failed in Gandhinagar. After Surat civic body elections, the AAP was confident. However, the voters of Gandhinagar rejected it. In the GMC elections, the Congress was able to bag only two seats. The AAP won one seat. In the Okha Nagar Palika elections, too, BJP recorded a resounding victory. It won 34 out of the 36 seats.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his gratitude to the people of Gujarat for the BJP’s victory. “The results reaffirm the deep-rooted bond between the people of Gujarat and the BJP,” he said. The GMC was very significant. It was the litmus test in the backdrop of several changes in the government and party structure in Gujarat. The BJP has not only replaced the chief minister but changed the entire cabinet. However, despite this, people remained loyal to the saffron party.
In Bhanvad, the Congress snatched the civic body from the ruling party. Out of 24 seats, Congress emerged as the winner. It won 16 seats. The BJP won only eight seats. The saffron party had been in power in Bhanvad since 1995. According to the SEC, the polling witnessed around 56.24 per cent voters’ turn-out. Political observers said that the Congress and the AAP would have to go back again to the drawing board to discuss and decide strategy.
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