AHMEDABAD: BJP swept all the six municipal corporations of Gujarat, putting up its best performance in two decades by winning 483 of the total 576 seats and leaving main opposition Congress in tatters.
AAP made a stunning debut in the state by winning 27 of the total 120 seats in Surat, virtually stamping out Congress and emerging as the main opposition party.
In Ahmedabad, another debutant, Asaduddin Owaisi’s All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, made a memorable launch at Congress’ cost, winning seven seats in minority dominated areas that were all bastions of the latter.
AAP won from the Pateldominated areas in Surat, signifying that Patidar quota stir leader Hardik Patel’s entry into Congress has had little impact on the fortunes of the grand old party. Of the 27 seats AAP won in Surat, 25 were held by Congress. It is all set to position itself as a formidable opposition party in Gujarat at a time when a weakened Congress is fast losing both its leaders and support base.
BJP’s stupendous win has ensured that four cities — Rajkot, Vadodara, Jamnagar and Bhavnagar — will not have an opposition as none of the rivals has won 10% of the total seats required to qualify for the opposition status. Of the remaining two corporations, Surat will have AAP as opposition and Ahmedabad will have Congress. The most decisive victory for BJP was in CM Vijay Rupani’s hometown Rajkot where it won 68 of the total 72 seats. In 2015, BJP had managed to win just 38.
BJP won 84% of the total seats in these elections compared to the previous municipal polls held in 2015 when it bagged 68% of the seats.
The landslide is significant as Congress was banking on job losses and overall business gloom after the lockdown, besides the recent fuel price hike. The rout triggered a deluge of resignations of Congress leaders in the six cities, while angry workers vandalised its office in Surat.
In Video:Gujarat: BJP wins big in municipal elections, set to retain all 6 civic bodies