Ahmedabad, Feb 18 (IANS): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has once again asserted its dominance in Gujarat's local body elections, securing a decisive victory in the Junagadh Municipal Corporation by winning 48 out of 60 seats in the February 16 polls.
According to the State Election Commission (SEC), eight seats were won unopposed by the BJP before polling began, while voting took place for the remaining 52 seats.
Out of these, the BJP clinched 40 seats, while the main opposition party secured 11 seats, and one independent candidate emerged victorious from Ward No. 9.
The BJP registered significant victories in Sanand Municipality and reached the halfway mark in Bavla Municipality, both located in Ahmedabad district. In Sanand, elections were held for 27 out of 28 seats, as one seat was won unopposed by the BJP before polling. Out of the 27 contested seats, the BJP secured 24, while the Congress managed to win only three.
Meanwhile, in Bavla Municipality, the BJP has reached the halfway mark of 14 out of 28 seats, while the Congress secured 13 seats, and one seat went to a BSP candidate.
This close contest could lead to an interesting political scenario in Bavla as no party has achieved a clear majority yet.
The third municipality in Ahmedabad district, Dhandhuka, also went to the polls, but its results are still awaited, as per the State Election Commission.
The BJP has also made a clean sweep in the district panchayat by-elections, winning all nine seats. These included two seats in Ahmedabad and one each in Mehsana, Gandhinagar, Panchmahal, Dahod, Bharuch, Dangs, and Botad. Notably, in Panchmahal, the BJP candidate won unopposed.
While the BJP has registered victories across several municipalities, Dakor Municipality has resulted in a political deadlock.
In this 28-seat municipality, BJP secured 12 seats, while independent candidates won 14 seats, leaving no party with a clear majority.
Interestingly, the Congress failed to win a single seat in Dakor, marking a significant setback for the opposition in this region.
These elections were also significant as they marked the first implementation of newly introduced reservation policies for women, Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) in several local bodies.