Gandhinagar Cong mayor crosses over to BJP

Ahead of the crucial assembly election in the state, the opposition Congress came in for a major embarrassment as the municipal corporation of the capital city Gandhinagar fell to the BJP after sitting Mayor Mahendrasinh Rana crossed over to the saffron party with two other corporators.

The Congress had formed the civic body after a close contest in April last year winning 18 municipal seats and leaving 15 for the BJP out of the 33 municipal corporation seats.

The development assumes significance as Gandhinagar city and the adjacent area have been a stronghold of the Congress for some time now. And the influence of the party was apparently growing as one of the strongest BJP assembly seats Mansa, just outside Gandhinagar had fallen to the Congress in a by-election early this year. The civic poll which had seen the Congress forming the civic body was also being translated as an expression of the latent displeasure of the government servants, who form the largest component of voters.