Guj panchayat bypolls: BJP bags 29 seats, Cong gets 3

The BJP won 26 of 30 taluka and district panchayat seats on which bypolls were held on Sunday, apart from three it won unopposed, leaving the opposition Congress way behind with just three wins.

One seat was won by an Independent candidate.

In a release issued on Tuesday, the State Election Commission (SEC) said, "Out of total 33 seats, on three seats BJP candidates won unopposed. Elections were held on 30 seats, of which BJP won 26 seats, Congress three seats and one seat went to an Independent candidate."

Of the 30 that went to polls, three were district panchayat seats, with the Congress having an upper hand with two wins against the BJP's one.

The rest 27 were taluka panchayat seats and the break-up of wins was BJP 25, Congress and Independent one each, it informed.

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani thanked the people for the party's good show, having got 29 of 33 seats, and said "the victory is a precursor to upcoming district and taluka panchayat polls".

Gujarat BJP president Jitu Vaghani said the Congress tried to mislead farmers and the rural population but people had given them a befitting answer, adding that the opposition party's "divisive' politics had been rejected.

Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi said his party accepted the verdict and would try to find out the reason behind it.