BJP sweeps civic elections in six Gujarat cities; Congress faces humiliating defeat

As was being expected, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Gujarat retained its power in the six municipal corporations with a thumping majority and routed the Congress. The victory has strengthened the BJP's fortresses in the urban power centres. The results hold significance as assembly elections are slated to be held next year.

But, what may have stunned everyone is the emergence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a local force in "diamond city" Surat where it will sit as the main opposition party replacing the Congress. Jubilant party workers announced that Kejriwal will hold a road show in Surat on February 26 to thank voters.

The Congress suffered its biggest defeat in Surat where the party failed to win a single seat. In 2015, riding on an anti-BJP wave during Patidar quota agitation, the Congress had managed to win 36 seats. On Tuesday, of 120 seats in the corporation, BJP won a record 93 seats, while AAP bagged the remaining 27 seats. The defeat left the local Congress workers fuming. They burnt posters and effigies of party leaders, demanding their resignation.

The polls were held for Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Bhavnagar and Jamnagar corporations. The election for 575 seats in six corporations was held on February 21. Till 7 PM of the counting, BJP had 467 seats, while Congress was lagging behind with only 45 seats. Apart from AAP, newly entrant Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM also won eight seats in Ahmedabad in the wards considered to be Congress stronghold.

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and scores of BJP leaders thanked the workers and voters for making the BJP win the polls. After the results, Rupani told reporters that "It's a victory of people centric government and people's faith in the party."

While corporation results have forced the Congress leaders to resign from their posts, the party is hopeful of a decent result in the second phase of polls that will be held on February 28. The polls will be held for 31 district panchayats, 81 municipalities and 231 taluka panchayats. The results will be out on March 2. Congress had opposed state election commission's move of announcing the result of first phase of (corporations) poll verdict before the voting of second phase which was rejected by Gujarat high court and the Supreme court.