BJP wins Gujarat local body polls with huge margin

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has registered a resounding and sweeping victory in the Gujarat local self-government elections, capturing nearly 75 per cent of the total seats and leaving the opposition parties significantly weakened across the state.

Out of 9,992 seats contested in local bodies, results for 9,943 seats have been declared so far. The BJP has secured a massive 7,462 seats, while the Indian National Congress managed only 1,732 seats. Other parties collectively won 749 seats, underscoring the BJP’s overwhelming dominance in Gujarat’s political landscape.

In the municipal corporations, the BJP won 937 out of 1,044 seats, with Congress securing 95 seats and others just 12. In municipalities, the BJP captured 1,989 out of 2,624 seats, while Congress won 258 and others 177. At the district panchayat level, BJP bagged 891 of the 1,088 declared seats, leaving Congress with 136 and others with 61. Similarly, in talukapanchayats, BJP secured 3,645 out of 5,187 declared seats, while Congress got 1,043 and others 499.

The victory celebrations erupted at the BJP state headquarters ‘Kamalam’ in Gandhinagar, where Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, state BJP president Jagdish Vishwakarma, and Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi joined party workers in jubilant celebrations, likened to a festive Diwali atmosphere.

Addressing party workers, CM Bhupendra Patel termed the mandate a “victory of development,” stating that the people of Gujarat have once again endorsed the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and rejected negativity. He credited teamwork and sustained grassroots outreach for the party’s success.

Harsh Sanghavi, in a sharp remark aimed at opposition parties, said that voters have given a befitting reply to those who attempted to malign Gujarat and its citizens, adding that the victory reflects the tireless efforts of party workers, especially during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic and natural calamities.

State BJP president Jagdish Vishwakarma also took a swipe at rival parties, calling them “seasonal players” and asserting that the electorate has firmly endorsed the BJP’s development agenda.

Political observers have attributed the landslide victory to the BJP’s robust booth management and extensive grassroots campaign. The party reportedly conducted over 1.05 lakh group meetings and 30,000 social interactions, focusing on direct voter engagement and localised development report cards.

The BJP’s dominance was particularly evident in urban centres. In the Surat Municipal Corporation, the party achieved a historic feat by winning 115 out of 120 seats, leaving the Aam Aadmi Party with just 4 seats and Congress with a single seat. This performance echoes the party’s near-clean sweep in 1995 and highlights its continued stronghold in the region. Experts believe that the results reaffirm the BJP’s entrenched position across Gujarat, not only in cities but also in rural local bodies, making it increasingly challenging for opposition parties to regain political ground in the state.

With this decisive mandate, the BJP has once again cemented its status as the dominant political force in Gujarat, while raising serious questions about the future and relevance of the opposition in the state’s political arena.