Perceived as semi-final ahead of the Gujarat Assembly polls to be held in 2017, the voters in the State did some fine balancing act in the keenly-contested civic body polls by giving contradictory verdicts in urban and rural areas.
The ruling BJP retained all six Municipal Corporations and won 42 out of 56 municipalities that went to polls. On the other hand Congress snatched 22 out of 31 district panchayats and over 110 out of 230 taluka (tehsil) panchayats. Especially in taluka panchayats BJP suffered major losses at the hands of Congress which had predominantly rural voters. In the 230 taluka panchayats with 4778 seats, Congress bagged 2108 seats against BJP’s 1413. In independent won 52 others seats.
Before the elections ruling BJP was controlling all six municipalities, 47 out of 56 municipalities of smaller towns, 191 out of 230 taluka panchayats and 30 out of 31 district panchayats.
The result of the civic bodies and panchayats definitely indicate major dent in BJP bastion. The polls were also considered as litmus test for the Chief Minister Anandiben Patel.
According to political analysts, the first woman Chief Minister cleared the examination, but with ‘passing’ marks only in the context of the first major polls Gujarat BJP contested under her leadership.
The highlight of the polls to local self-Government bodies was sharp urban-rural divide. While urban voters once again trusted the saffron party, the rural voters shifted to the grand old party. Ongoing pro-quota agitation of Patidar community for reservation in Government jobs and education under OBC category has impacted ruling BJP in the rural areas.
BJP emerged victorious in Viramgam municipality. The pro-quota leader and Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) convener Hardik Patel hails from Viramgam town. In the Patel-dominated Unjha town, independent candidates secured all 36 seats in municipality election. Interestingly all of them are belonging to powerful Patidar community.
Though BJP retained all six municipal corporations including Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Bhavnagar and Jamnagar, the strength of Congress as opposition party has enhanced compared to 2010 polls. Of the total 572 seats in these cities, Congress improved its tally from 103 to 175 after the elections. Same is the case in municipalities.
Reacting on the results of polls to civic bodies and panchayats, Anandiben admitted that the results are below expectations. “We honour the verdict and congratulate the people of Gujarat. Now it is time for the BJP workers to work harder (in context to 2017 assembly polls),” she said at the State BJP headquarters in Gandhinagar.
Terming the Congress party’s performance in Panchayat polls as “vote bank politics” in context of Patel stir for reservation, Gujarat BJP spokesman IK Jadeja said that Congress aimed at provoking discontent and social engineering.
On the other hand Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Bharatsinh Solanki claimed that the results proved the sheer neglect of rural Gujarat by the ruling party. According to Solanki, Congress could do much better compared to the party's situation in 2014 lok Sabha polls. He further said that Congress workers would work even harder to improve party's position in the State. He, however, blamed deletion of over lakh voters’ names from electoral rolls for Congress’s dismal performance in municipal corporations. According to him, if the names wouldn't be deleted, his party could have done much better.
It is a cause of concern for ruling BJP that the party lost its stronghold in Mahesana district in North Gujarat. The district from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel and couple of Ministers with important portfolios in her Cabinet belong. Congress also made inroads in Ahmedabad district panchayat after a gap of a decade.