GANDHINAGAR: BJP repeated its 2013 act in
2018 Gujarat municipal polls retaining the same number of seats, 47 of 75, as it had won five years earlier. On the other hand, Congress worked into the
vote banks of others improving its score from 8 municipalities to 16. Both parties have ample reason to rejoice, and also both have claimed they will form the bodies in 10 municipalities where there is no clear mandate in favour of any major party as there are many independent winners.
Varesh Sinha, state election commissioner, said, “Out of 75 municipalities, BJP has won 47, Congress 16, NCP one, and BSP one. There is no clear mandate in 6 municipalities while in 4 municipalities independents have the edge.’’
Going into further details, Sinha said, “Of total 2,060 municipal councillor seats, BJP won 1,167, Congress 630, BSP 15, NCP 28, and other parties won 18. Independents won 202 seats.”
BJP’s landslide victory in PM Narendra Modi’s hometown, Vadnagar, where the party won 27 out of 28 seats, was a matter of pride for state party workers and leaders.
State BJP president, Jitu Vaghani said on the overall results, “We have won 47 of 75 municipalities, which is almost the same performance as of 2013. But we have won municipalities in 41 assembly constituencies where Congress candidates won in the assembly elections held in December 2017.”
Vaghani said, “This shows that people have lost confidence in the Congress party in a gap of just two months.”
Claiming BJP will form boards in municipalities where the mandate was unclear, Vaghani said, “We will form government even in those municipalities where neither we nor Congress has a clear majority, and also in such municipalities where independents have won in large numbers.”
On his part, Bharatsinh Solanki, state Congress president too, laid claim to the undecided municipalities. He said, “Compared to 2013 elections, our score has increased substantially. In 2013, we won eight municipalities, while this time, with the backing of independents, we have won 24 municipalities.” Solanki pointed out that in 2013 Congress had won 444 seats, but has improved the score to 630 seats in this election.“In Kheda, Chaklashi, Mahudha and other places, Congress-backed independents have won. We expect to form local government in more than 24 municipalities,” said Solanki, alleging that the state election commission had worked as “a puppet of the BJP.”
BJP won in bastions of Cong leaders: CM
Speaking on the results of municipal polls, Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani said, “I thank the people of Gujarat and our workers. BJP has not only maintained the performance of the last elections, but also won a number of municipalities like that in assembly constituency of LOP Paresh Dhanani, in the district from where state Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki hails, and key seats like Jasdan, Dhrol, Manavadar, from where senior Congress leaders have won seats in recent assembly elections.”
Proof of people's faith in BJP: Shah
BJP president Amit Shah described his party's win in Gujarat municipal polls as a proof of people's "unbreakable" faith in the state government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's good governance and pro-people policies. “For people of Gujarat to continuously put their trust in the BJP is proof of their unbreakable faith in the state government’s and in PM Narendra Modi’s good governance,” Shah tweeted.