All eyes on Gujarat civic body polls after BJP’s debacle in Bihar

GANDHINAGAR: The local body elections held on Sunday in Gujarat assumed extra significance after BJP’s debacle in Bihar and the growing agitation against the ruling party among the powerful Patidar community, which has been on the warpath with their demands for reservation. An adverse result would impact the working of chief minister Aanadiben on one hand and also have national fallout.

Election has been held for six municipal corporations in the state in the first phase of local body polls. About 1,856 candidates contested for 570 seats spread across 143 words in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Jamnagar and Bhavnagar Municipal corporations. Counting will happen on December 2 along with the votes of the Panchayat elections scheduled for the second phase. The overall voting has been around 47%.

Congress complained to the Election Commission about many Patidar voters finding their names deleted from the voter list. The commission had later allowed these voters to exercise their franchise.