Gujarat local bodies polls: BJP wins 15 municipalities, Congress gets 8

New Delhi: The BJP in Gujarat has won 15 out of the 27 municipalities while Congress has won eight in the latest round of local body elections. One municipality each was won by NCP and Samajwadi Party, while the verdict is hung in two others.

There was around 75 per cent voter turnout for the elections for 660 seats held last Sunday, with 1,641 candidates in the fray.

Bareja municipality in Ahmedabad district had clocked the highest 82 per cent voter turnout while Maliya-Miyana municipality in Morbi district registered the lowest 62 per cent turnout.

State BJP spokesperson I K Jadeja said, “Today’s results will shatter Congress’s dream of winning the 2017 Assembly polls. Congress has failed to open its account in many municipalities, like Bhabhar, Damnagar, Savli and Padra, where they have got zero seats.”

Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi said his party had improved its performance.

Earlier, elections were held last November for 56 municipalities, six municipal corporations, 31 district panchayats and 230 taluka panchayats. BJP had fared badly in district and taluka panchayat elections then but captured power in majority of urban centres.