Congress orders internal probe: BJP says 26 candidates win unopposed in local body polls

According to BJP, of the 26 candidates, 17 were elected unopposed in taluka panchayats which include seats in Olpad, Choriyasi (both in Surat district), Daskroi (Ahmedabad), Bhuj (Kutch), Junagadh, Umrada (Bhavnagar), Limbdi, Vadhwan, Dhangadra and Thangad (Surendranagar district).

In the Thangad taluka panchayat of Surendranagar district, BJP candidates were elected unopposed in five seats.

Similarly for the polls for municipalities, seven BJP candidates where elected unopposed. This includes two candidates in Bhuj (Kutch district) and five in Dhrangadhra municipality of Surendranagar district, BJP sources said.

BJP state chief C R Paatil, congratulating the “winners”, said the party had achieved “gram swarajya to sthanik surajya (self-governance in villages to good governance in local governments)” adding how Prime Minister Narendra Modi had always insisted on samras gram panchayat (co-opted village panchayats).

In the district panchayats, two BJP candidates won in seats of Surendranagar and Junagadh district panchayats. When asked about the BJP candidates’ “unopposed victory” in these seats, Congress party spokesperson Manish Doshi said, “We are inquiring into these incidents at the party level. We are not sure if it was the mischief of some of our partymen who did not turn up for filing their nominations or if they acted under pressure from someone. Strict action will be taken against those found guilty.”