The Bharatiya Janata Party has continued its winning streak since the Gujarat Assembly elections by winning in 47 of the 75 nagarpalikas (municipalities), the results for which were declared on Tuesday.
Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s sway over semi-urban areas, besides major cities such as Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot and Surat, was evident from the results that had the Congress bagging only nine municipalities, while there was a hung verdict in 10 nagarpalikas and Independents would rule the roost in nine other local bodies.
The Congress, which decided on senior leader Shankersinh Vaghela as Leader of the Opposition after much debate, has not been able to score over the BJP and continues to be in a leadership crisis.
The BJP candidates had won uncontested as many as 82 nagarpalika and mahanagarpalika seats.
State BJP spokesperson and former Minister I.K. Jadeja claimed that the series of victories was yet another tribute to the Modi government’s development policies.
Mr. Jadeja said the BJP won all 21 seats in Surendranagar district’s Halvad nagarpalika, which was earlier controlled by the Congress, while 12 out of 21 seats in Patan district’s Chanasma nagarpalika went to the BJP. All of them won without a contest.
Similarly, two contestants in the Junagadh Municipal Corporation won uncontested while nine candidates of the ruling party romped home unchallenged in Kutiyana nagarpalika of Porbander district. Similarly, nine of the 27 seats had BJP candidates winning sans any opponents.
