4 Cong councilors suspended for voting against party nominee

Gujarat Congress today suspended four of its recently-elected councilors in Vadhvan Municipality for voting against the party's official candidate for the post of the civic body president.
Election to the post was held earlier in the day today.
"The party suspended four councilors for voting against the official candidate of the party for the post of president," state Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi said.
In the recently-held local body polls, Congress had won 23 seats out of 36 in Vadhvan Municipality.
In the first board meeting of the municipality held today, four of its candidates voted for BJP nominee for the post of president.

However, Congress managed to clinch the post in spite of cross-voting, as BJP candidate managed to receive just 16 votes, while the Congress nominee Vikram Dave got 21 votes and elected to the post.

Meanwhile, in Viramgam Municipality, the home town of the Patel quota agitation leader Hardik Patel BJP councilor Kantibhai Patel was elected as the president unopposed as the Congress councilors chose not to cast their votes.
BJP had won 17 seats out of 36 seats but it had obtained support of three independent candidates. The Congress had won 16 seats.
In the local body polls held last month, BJP had won 40 out of 56 municipalities, while Congress had won six and there was hung verdict in the others.

Congress had put up a good show in rural parts of the state winning district and taluka panchayats, while BJP had won in urban areas comprising municipal corporations and municipalities.