BJP ahead in Gujarat local polls

By Our Special Correspondent

GANDHINAGAR, JAN. 4. Early results of the elections to 50 municipalities in Gujarat indicate a clear edge for the ruling BJP in the semi-urban areas.

In 347 seats, of the total 1,641, results for which have been declared so far, the BJP has bagged 180 with the Congress(I) trailing behind with only 43. Independents and smaller parties, including the Samata Party, have claimed the remaining 124 seats.

The BJP State general secretary, Mr. Gordhan Jhadafiya, claimed that the party had already bagged 314 of the 502 seats, results of which had been declared locally. The Congress(I) State vice- president, Mr. Hasmukh Patel, claimed that the party had already won 148 seats.

While the Election Office maintained that results of none of the 50 municipalities were available, the BJP claimed to have already secured the Dehgam, Mandvi, Navsari, Gondal and Limbdi municipalities while the Congress(I) claimed to have won the Vapi, Junagadh and Amreli municipalities.

Mr. Jhadafiya said going by the early trend, the BJP was certain to capture at least 35 municipalities on its own and establish control on another five to 10 local bodies with the support of the independents sponsored by the party.

The Congress(I) leadership seemed already demoralised with the loss of the Navsari municipality, the home town of the State president, Mr. C. D. Patel. Even in Mehsana district, where the party fared well in the last Lok Sabha elections winning both the parliamentary seats much against the general trend in the State, the party was receiving serious drubbing in the municipal elections trailing the BJP in Mehsana, Visnagar, Kadi, Kalol and other municipalities in the district.

It was the first time that both the BJP and the Congress(I) are contesting the municipal elections on party symbol for most of the seats. The BJP has put up over 1,440 candidates in about 40 municipalities and the Congress(I) in more than 1,100 candidates in 36 local bodies. Both the parties have left the remaining seats to the independents supported by them.

The polling for the 50 municipalities were held on January 2 and the counting of votes began today. The polling for two other municipalities in the State, Porbandar and Raj Pipla, would be held on January 7 under a Gujarat High Court order.

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