BJP claims uncontested win in 215 seats before Gujarat polls as rivals withdraw

Before the poll scheduled for February 16, the BJP in Gujarat claimed victory on 215 seats in the upcoming Gujarat local body elections, after candidates from other parties reportedly withdrew their nominations, the last date for which was February 4, The Indian Express reported.

The party has also announced that it has secured control of four municipalities—Halol, Bhachau, Jafrabad, and Bantva—after winning the majority of seats uncontested, allowing it to form boards in these local bodies.

The Gujarat State Election Commission (SEC) had earlier declared elections for Junagadh Municipal Corporation, 66 municipalities, three taluka panchayats in Kathlal, Kapadvanj, and Gandhinagar, along with mid-term polls in Botad and Wankaner municipalities.

The election process also includes filling vacant seats in various local bodies across the state. With February 4 as the last date for nomination withdrawals, BJP has claimed that it has won 196 seats across the 68 municipalities going to polls, while also securing uncontested victories on ten additional seats where elections were notified.

BJP's victories in Halol, Bhachau, Jafrabad, and Bantva have contributed significantly to its electoral success, with 19 out of 36 seats in Halol, 22 out of 28 in Bhachau, 16 out of 28 in Jafrabad, and 15 out of 24 in Bantva being secured without contest.

The party has also won the by-poll for the Shivrajpur seat in Panchmahal District Panchayat and has also claimed an uncontested victory in the Mangaliya seat of Sehra Taluka Panchayat. The party’s candidate in Mangaliya was declared the winner after the proposers of the three opposing candidates, including those from the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), withdrew their support during the scrutiny of nominations.

Further, the BJP has also won the Vadodara Taluka Panchayat seat of Dashrath 1 uncontested, as the Congress candidate withdrew his nomination. In Vadodara District Panchayat, while polls are set to take place in Koyali 1 and Nandesari, the election will proceed in Dashrath 1 as scheduled.

Meanwhile, in Valsad municipality, the election will not be held in specific wards where BJP candidates have been declared uncontested winners due to the absence of Congress and AAP candidates. Similarly, in Dharampur Municipality of Valsad district, three BJP candidates have won uncontested, reducing the number of seats up for election to 25 out of 28.

BJP has won nine seats uncontested in the Junagadh Municipal Corporation (JMC), the only municipal corporation going to polls. Congress opted out of the race in these constituencies, resulting in BJP candidates being declared winners without contest.