Gujarat gram panchayat polls: BJP, Cong both claim victory
The ruling BJP and Opposition Congress each claimed victory in the Gram Panchayat elections held on April 8 in Gujarat, results for which were declared today.
The Gujarat State Election Commission (SEC) declared the outcome of the elections held for 1,491 gram panchayats last Saturday. Since gram panchayat polls are not fought on party symbols, the contestants have to fight in their personal capacity. Each voter needs to cast two votes, one to elect a Sarpanch and another to elect members.
The SEC had announced elections to total 1,828 gram panchayats last month. However, elections were held in 1,491 gram panchayats, as remaining village bodies were declared “uncontested” after villagers elected their sarpanchs unanimously. As the results started coming out, the BJP claimed that 80 per cent elected Sarpanchs are associated with the BJP, whereas the Congress claimed that more than 69 per cent elected Sarpanchs belonged to the Opposition party.
“People have once again put trust in BJP, as they are very happy with current state government under Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. Around 80 per cent sarpanchs elected today are BJP’s supporters,” the Gujarat unit BJP president Jitu Vaghani said. Some leaders celebrated the party’s “victory” at the state BJP headquarters …read more