The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) retained control of all three urban local bodies that went to polls in Gujarat on October 11, winning 38 of the 44 seats in the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation (GMC) and securing majorities in the Thara and Okha municipalities. The results were declared by the State Election Commission on Tuesday, after counting began at 9am.
The Congress won five seats in Gandhinagar, while an Independent candidate won one ward. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which won one seat in the previous election, failed to secure any seats.
Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel congratulated the BJP candidates and party workers and said the victory reflected public faith in the party’s development agenda.
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“Under the leadership of the Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra bhai Modi, the people of Gujarat as well as the entire country have placed unwavering faith in the BJP’s politics of development. This massive public support received in the local self-government elections is a reflection of the people’s steadfast trust in the BJP’s development-oriented policies,” Patel said in a post on X.
Thanking voters for the mandate, he said the party would work towards the goal of “Developed Gujarat, Developed India” through public service and national service.
The BJP’s tally in Gandhinagar fell from 41 seats in 2021 to 38 this time, while the Congress improved its tally from two to five. A total of 130 candidates contested the 44 seats across 11 wards.
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In Thara municipality in Banaskantha district, the BJP won 19 of the 24 seats, while the Congress secured the remaining five.
In Okha municipality in Devbhumi Dwarka district, the BJP won 29 of the 32 seats for which polling was held. The Congress won three seats. Four other seats had been declared uncontested after only BJP candidates remained in the fray, taking the party’s total to 33 of the municipality’s 36 seats.
According to figures released by the State Election Commission, Gandhinagar recorded a voter turnout of 59.25%, while turnout stood at 81.18% in Thara and 63.27% in Okha.