BJP returns to power in Gujarat municipal polls with strong performance, Congress decimated
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], February 23 (ANI): The BJP on Tuesday put up a spectacular performance in the Gujarat municipal corporation elections improving its numbers over the 2016 polls and nearly decimating the Congress.
The party is set to retain power in all municipal corporations which went to the polls.
The performance appears all the more credible as BJP has been in power in the state for the last 25 years.
Congress hopes of anti-incumbency working as a factor in its favour were shattered.
In 2016, the BJP had won 389 seats whereas Congress won 176. In the results declared on Tuesday, BJP won 483 of 576 seats leaving Congress with only 55.
Senior BJP leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the party's victory and said that the unwavering support of people from all sections was indeed touching.
The Congress tally went down by 121 seats compared to the previous polls whereas BJP added 100 more to its kitty.
BJP secured 68 seats in Rajkot, which is a 30 seat jump in its numbers compared to the 2016 polls.
BJP won 12 more seats in Vadodara and Jamnagar and 14 more in Surat. It won 10 more seats in Bhavnagar and 22 more in Ahmedabad.
BJP won 159 seats in Ahemdabad. Home Minister and former BJP president Amit Shah had cast his vote during the polls.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) put up a fight in Surat where it won 27 seats in its first outing. Other parties including All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) also remained unsuccessful in their attempts to corner the BJP. The BJP secured 93 out of the 120 seats in Surat, while the AAP secured 27. Congress and other parties did not win any seats.
In Vadodara, Rajkot, Bhavnagar and Jamnagar, the BJP secured 69, 68, 44, and 50 seats respectively.
The Congress, secured 7 seats in Vadodara, four in Rajkot, eight in Bhavnagar and 11 in Jamnagar.
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) secured three seats in Jamnagar.
BJP won 159 seats in Ahmedabad with the Congress winning 25. (ANI)
