The BJP retained control of all three urban local bodies that went to polls in Gujarat, winning 38 of 44 seats in the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation and securing dominant majorities in the municipalities of Thara and Okha, according to results declared by the State Election Commission on Tuesday.
The results confirmed the BJP’s continued control of the three civic bodies after polling was held on Sunday. Counting began at 9 am, with the elections conducted using electronic voting machines.
In Gandhinagar, the BJP won 38 seats across 11 wards, while the Congress finished second with five seats. An independent candidate won one seat. The Aam Aadmi Party, which had secured one seat in the previous election, failed to win any seat this time.
The BJP’s tally in the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation declined from the 41 seats it won in the previous election, held in October 2021. The Congress had won two seats and the AAP one in that election. The civic body has around 2.59 lakh voters, making the result significant for the administration of Gujarat’s capital city and its municipal services.
In Thara municipality in Banaskantha district, the BJP won 19 of the 24 seats contested, while the Congress secured the remaining five. Polling took place across six wards, with voter turnout recorded at 81.18%, the highest among the three urban local bodies in the election.
In Okha municipality in Devbhumi Dwarka district, the BJP won 29 of the 32 seats for which polling was held. The Congress won three seats. Four additional seats had already been declared uncontested after only BJP candidates remained in the contest. With those seats included, the BJP secured 33 of Okha’s 36 seats and retained control of the municipality.
Voter turnout in Gandhinagar stood at 59.25%, while Okha recorded a turnout of 63.27%, according to the State Election Commission. The differences in participation reflect the varying scale and electoral character of the three civic contests, from the larger municipal corporation election in Gandhinagar to the smaller municipality polls in Thara and Okha.
The outcome gives the BJP control over the elected bodies responsible for local civic administration in all three locations. Their responsibilities include managing municipal services and implementing local urban decisions through elected councils, although the results alone do not indicate how the new councils will perform on service delivery, infrastructure or finances.
The results also leave the Congress as the principal opposition in each of the three bodies. The AAP, which had previously entered the Gandhinagar civic body with one seat, has lost its representation there. The State Election Commission’s declaration of the results completes the immediate electoral process for the three urban local bodies.
