Counting of votes for 575 seats in six municipal corporations — Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Bhavnagar and Jamnagar — of Gujarat is underway amid heavy security and strict COVID-19 protocols.
As per the latest data, BJP has won 15 seats in Bhavnagar, 24 in Rajkot, and 45 in Vadodara. In Jamnagar, the BJP has won 32 seats so far while Congress has won 05 seats. Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which is contesting the polls for the first time has hindered Congress’ growth in Rajkot.
The State Election Commission (SEC) has said an average 46.08 per cent turnout was registered during voting which was held between 7 am and 6 pm on Sunday. Ahmedabad recorded the lowest turnout of 42.51 per cent, while Jamnagar saw the highest turnout of 53.38 per cent, followed by 50.72 per cent in Rajkot, 49.46 per cent in Bhavnagar, 47.84 per cent in Vadodara and 47.14 per cent in Surat.
All these bodies are currently governed by the BJP. While the BJP has an upper hand in elections to urban local bodies, this time, several senior and multiple-term corporators were denied tickets, leading to disquiet in the party. With Assembly elections due next year, these elections will provide an indicator of the voters’ mood.