AHMEDABAD: After a resounding victory in the six big cities, the upbeat BJP aims to replicate its electoral success in towns and villages of the state, as municipalities and panchayats (district and taluka) go to polls on Sunday.
Voting is being held amid stringent Covid-19 guidelines for 81 municipalities, 31 district panchayats, and 231 taluka panchayats across the state.
Traditionally, voting in semi-urban and rural local bodies has been much higher compared to cities. Both the BJP and the Congress claim that voters in municipalities and panchayats will choose them.
Meanwhile, the AAP, which has tasted success in the Surat Municipal Corporation polls, has fielded a sizable number of candidates in municipalities and panchayat elections as well. The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), which won seven seats in the AMC election, has fielded candidates in Godhra and Modasa municipalities.
As in the big cities, the BJP holds sway in the majority of municipalities. The saffron party trumped the Congress winning 1,199 seats in municipalities to the Congress’s 674 in 2015. However, the Congress had put up a much improved performance in municipalities in 2015 compared to 2010.
As far as the rural bodies (district and taluka panchayats) are concerned, the Congress in 2015 won 597 district panchayat seats and 2,548 taluka panchayat seats. In comparison, the BJP could bag only 367 district panchayat and 2,017 taluka panchayat seats.