Gujarat local body polls: Voting to be held on February 17, counting on February19

Ahmedabad: The voting of the local body polls in Gujarat will be held on February 17. The counting of the same has been scheduled on February 19.

In 2016, the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) party had swept the local bodies elections by winning 107 seats out of total 123 seats. 

The party had won in two municipalities and one taluka panchayat along with majority seats of various other local bodies on which voting was held on November 27. The result was declared on November 29.

Congress, however, had managed to capture only 16 seats in the local body polls last year. 

As per the final result declared by the Gujarat State Election Commission, BJP had registered a victory in Vapi municipality of Valsad district by capturing 41 out of total 44 seats. Only three seats went to Congress.

Similarly, BJP made a near clean sweep in the polls to Kanakpur-Kansad municipality of Surat, where it captured 27 out of 28 seats, leaving only one to Congress.

In Rajkot, BJP had snatched Gondal taluka panchayat, which went for mid-term poll, from Congress by winning 18 out of total 22 seats. Congress settled for only four.

Apart from these three elections, Gujarat SEC had conducted by-elections on 29 seats of various municipalities, taluka panchayats and district panchayats across the state. The bypolls were necessitated as these seats fell vacant due to various reasons. 

Out of total 16 seats of different municipalities, BJP had bagged 14 while Congress had to settle for only two. Out of the total four seats of district panchayats, both the parties had bagged two each. In the taluka panchayat by-polls, BJP had won on five out of total nine while Congress had captured four seats.

(With agency inputs)