The BJP has secured a historic victory in the Gujarat local body elections, winning all 15 municipal corporations. The party has crossed the 50% mark in each corporation.

According to the latest figures released by the State Election Commission (SEC), the ruling party secured a majority of seats in municipal corporations including Surendranagar, Jamnagar, Porbandar, Karamsad-Anand, Nadiad, Navsari, Vapi, Surat and Morbi.

In the Morbi Municipal Corporation, the BJP has bagged all 52 seats.

Polling was held on Sunday for elections to 15 municipal corporations, 84 municipalities, 34 district panchayats and 260 taluka panchayats.

The polls, considered one of the largest electoral exercises in the state ahead of the assembly elections due next year, covered nearly 9,200 seats with more than 4.18 crore eligible voters.

According to SEC data, voter turnout stood at 55.1 per cent for municipal corporations, 65.53 per cent for municipalities, 66.64 per cent for district panchayats and 67.26 per cent for taluka panchayats.

Among municipal corporations, the newly formed Gandhidham in Kutch district recorded the lowest turnout at 46.03 per cent, while Vapi in Valsad district registered the highest at 72.29 per cent. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation reported a turnout of 51.81 per cent.

Polling was conducted for the first time in nine newly created municipal corporations, including Navsari, Gandhidham, Morbi, Vapi, Anand, Nadiad, Mehsana, Porbandar and Surendranagar.

The elections were held under revised norms for Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservations, which required extensive delimitation and ward restructuring in several districts.

The BJP, Congress and AAP were the main contenders in the polls, while AIMIM also fielded candidates in several areas.

Source: India Today