Elections to Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Jamnagar and Bhavnagar municipal corporations will be held on Sunday in the first phase of local bodies’ polls.
As per the State Election Commission, 1,14,66,973 voters will elect 575 councillors from among 2,276 candidates. There are 144 municipal wards and 11,121 polling booths and voting will take place from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will cast his vote in Ahmedabad and Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala in Rajkot. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani is likely to vote in Rajkot wearing PPE kit since he is COVID-19 infected and hospitalised.
Results will be declared on February 23.
The second phase will be held in 31 district panchayats, 81 municipalities and 231 taluka panchayats on February 27.
During the low-key campaign, the BJP played the “development” card while the Congress, which has been out of power in these corporations for a long time now, cited “lack of amenities” and the recent fuel price hike to turn the tide.
The Aam Aadmi Party has claimed it would be an effective alternative to the BJP and the Congress, while Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM is making a debut with 21 candidates in six wards in Ahmedabad.
You have reached your limit for free articles this month.
Subscription Benefits Include
Today's Paper
Find mobile-friendly version of articles from the day's newspaper in one easy-to-read list.
Unlimited Access
Enjoy reading as many articles as you wish without any limitations.
Personalised recommendations
A select list of articles that match your interests and tastes.
Faster pages
Move smoothly between articles as our pages load instantly.
Dashboard
A one-stop-shop for seeing the latest updates, and managing your preferences.
Briefing
We brief you on the latest and most important developments, three times a day.
Support Quality Journalism.
*Our Digital Subscription plans do not currently include the e-paper, crossword and print.
A letter from the Editor
Dear subscriber,
Thank you!
Your support for our journalism is invaluable. It’s a support for truth and fairness in journalism. It has helped us keep apace with events and happenings.
The Hindu has always stood for journalism that is in the public interest. At this difficult time, it becomes even more important that we have access to information that has a bearing on our health and well-being, our lives, and livelihoods. As a subscriber, you are not only a beneficiary of our work but also its enabler.
We also reiterate here the promise that our team of reporters, copy editors, fact-checkers, designers, and photographers will deliver quality journalism that stays away from vested interest and political propaganda.
Suresh Nambath
