BJP sweeps local body polls in Gujarat, Modi hails ‘unbreakable’ bond
According to data from the Gujarat State Election Commission portal, Congress won 1,740 seats while others, including AAP and AIMIM, accounted for 755.
In all, elections were conducted for over 9,900 seats across 15 municipal corporations, 84 municipalities, 34 district panchayats and 260 taluka panchayats. In a first, 733 seats, mostly won by the BJP, were uncontested.
The BJP registered a thumping victory Tuesday in the Gujarat local body elections, winning all 15 municipal corporations and 33 of 34 district panchayats, while also securing a majority of seats in nagarpalikas and taluka panchayats.
The numbers are significant on several counts, primarily with Assembly elections due next year.
These were the first polls held in the state after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Gujarat had recorded the highest number of deletions, more than 68 lakh, in the SIR among states where the exercise was held in the second phase.
These polls were also the first in the state where the higher OBC quota of 27% was implemented, up from the earlier 10%. And, of the 15 municipal corporations that went to polls, nine were holding elections for the first time, having been constituted by the Gujarat government in January last year.
According to data from the Gujarat State Election Commission portal, Congress won 1,740 seats while others, including AAP and AIMIM, accounted for 755.
Following the BJP sweep, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X and posted: “The relationship between Gujarat and the Bharatiya Janata Party has now become even deeper and unbreakable! I express my heartfelt gratitude to the people of Gujarat for the resounding public support and mandate received by the BJP in the municipal corporation, municipality, taluka panchayat, and district panchayat elections held across the state.”
He posted: “By recognizing the people-centric and development-oriented work of the state government, the people of Gujarat have once again expressed their trust in the politics of good governance. These results clearly demonstrate that the public has given their heartfelt blessings to the tireless efforts made by the BJP over the years. I assure the people of Gujarat that in the times to come, we will work with even greater commitment and dedication, and remain continuously striving to take the state to new heights of development.”
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Modi gave credit to the “large family of Gujarat karyakartas” for making the BJP the “preferred choice” in the state.
In all, elections were conducted for over 9,900 seats across 15 municipal corporations, 84 municipalities, 34 district panchayats and 260 taluka panchayats. In a first, 733 seats, mostly won by the BJP, were uncontested.
The ruling party did face some jolts, though. In Narmada district, AAP emerged victorious. The AAP, contesting local body elections in the state for the second time, lost significant ground in Surat Municipal Corporation — its seat count fell from 27 in 2021 to four. However, it gained in rural areas; apart from Narmada district panchayat, it won 12 taluka panchayats, according to a party release.
The Congress marginally improved its tally in urban bodies, including Rajkot and Ahmedabad municipal corporations. In Surat Municipal Corporation, it won one seat — an improvement from 2021, when it failed to open its account. In Dabhoi nagarpalika in central Gujarat, the Congress is set to form the body after winning 21 of 36 seats, dealing the BJP a blow in the region.
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Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi and Gujarat BJP president Jagdish Vishwakarma expressed gratitude to voters and congratulated party workers.
“I am grateful to the people of Gujarat for again supporting PM Narendra Modi’s development-focused politics and delivering a big victory to the BJP,” Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel told a press conference on Tuesday.
Sanghavi said voters had made BJP victorious in all municipal corporations, most municipalities and taluka panchayats, and all but one district panchayat.
Parimal A Dabhi works with The Indian Express as Chief of Bureau, focusing on the state of Gujarat. Leveraging his seniority and access, Dabhi is recognized for his reporting on the complex interplay of law, politics, social justice, and governance within the region.
Expertise & Authority
Core Authority (Social Justice and Law): Dabhi is a key source for in-depth coverage of caste-based violence, discrimination, and the state's response to social movements, particularly those involving Patidar, Dalit and OBC communities. His reporting focuses on the societal and legal fallout of these issues:
Caste and Discrimination: He has reported extensively on social boycotts and instances of violence against Dalits (such as the attack on a Dalit wedding party in Patan), the community's demands (like refusing to pick carcasses), and the political responses from leaders like Jignesh Mevani.
Judicial and Legal Affairs: He tracks significant, high-stakes legal cases and judgments that set precedents in Gujarat, including the convictions under the stringent Gujarat Animal Preservation Act (cow slaughter), 2002 Gujarat riots and developments in cases involving former police officers facing charges of wrongful confinement and fake encounters.
Political and Administrative Oversight: Dabhi provides essential coverage of the inner workings of the state government and the opposition, ensuring a high degree of Trustworthiness in political analysis:
State Assembly Proceedings: He frequently reports directly from the Gujarat Assembly, covering Question Hour, discussion on various Bills, debates on budgetary demands for departments like Social Justice, and ministerial statements on issues like illegal mining, job quotas for locals, and satellite-based farm loss surveys.
Electoral Politics: His work details key political developments, including election analysis (voter turnout records), party organizational changes (like the end of C R Patil’s tenure as BJP chief), and campaign dynamics. ... Read More
