BJP sweeps local body elections in Gujarat

Continuing its winning streak, the BJP in Gujarat on Tuesday swept the local body elections too. Riding high on Assembly election win in last December, the BJP bagged 45 municipalities (1,039 seats) and left Congress battered with 17 municipalities and others managing to wrest control over 13 local bodies.

Ironically, though the BJP managed to bag more number of seats""last time, it managed to win 882 seats""the party ended up losing two municipalities. In the local body elections held in 2003, BJP had won 47 municipalities.

The Congress, which fought on its symbol for the first time, claims that taking into account NCP seats and independents in its favour, it would have a control on 33 municipalities.

Elections were held on 1,911 seats in 75 municipalities across Gujarat. The polling was held on February 17. This included 21 seats of 17 wards of the newly merged areas of Surat, Vadodara and Jamnagar municipal corporations.