Gujarat civic polls: BJP wins 47 bodies

■ Opp. Cong wins 16 seats

Ahmedabad: The BJP continued its winning performance in Gujarat by bagging 47 out of 75 municipalities on Monday. The main Opposition, Congress, won 16 municipalities, while the NCP and BSP emerged victorious on one each. Voting was held on last Saturday and the results were declared on Monday.

Ahmedabad, Feb. 19: The BJP continued its winning performance in Gujarat by bagging 47 out of 75 municipalities on Monday. The main Opposition, Congress, won 16 municipalities, while the NCP and BSP emerged victorious on one each.

Voting for the 75 municipalities was held on last Saturday and the results were declared on Monday.

“The BJP has won 47 municipalities, the Congress 16, the NCP and BSP one each. While Independent candidates won four municipalities, six others remained hung as no party gained a clear majority,” State Election Commissioner Varesh Sinha said.

In December last year, the BJP had registered a sixth straight victory in the Gujarat Assembly polls by winning 99 seats while the Congress secured 77 seats in the 182- member House.

Three of the six municipalities that delivered a hung verdict are Khedbhramaha in Sabarkantha district, Gariadhar in Bhavnagar district and Pardi in Valsad district, where both the BJP and the Congress won 14 seats each.

“Of the total 2,060 seats in these 75 municipalities spread across 24 districts, the BJP won 1,167, Congress 630, NCP 28 and BSP 15 seats. Other small political parties won 18 seats, while Independent candidates emerged winners on 202 seats,” Mr Sinha said.

The vote- counting process was peaceful, he added.

In Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home town Vadnagar in Mehsana district, the BJP won 27 of the 28 seats, while the remaining seat went to the Congress.

As the results were declared, BJP workers started celebrating at the party headquarters in Gandhinagar.