BJP retains Junagadh civic body with greater mandate

AHMEDABAD: The BJP on Tuesday retained the Junagadh Municipal Corporation (JMC) in Gujarat by securing a larger mandate of 51 seats decimating the Congress to just one seat in the 60-member body.nnThe ruling party also won by-elections to a majority of seats in district and taluka panchayats for which elections were held on July 21.nnThe BJP has improved its tally by seven seats to win 51 out of 56 seats in the JMC that went to polls on July 21, results for which were announced Tuesday.nnThe Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has emerged as the second largest party by winning four seats.nnOut of total 60 seats in JMC, the election was held for 56 seats.nnWhile candidates of the BJP were declared elected unopposed on three seats, the form of a BJP nominee stood rejected in another instance.nnThe NCP registered a surprise win on four seats.nnIn a stinging defeat, the tally of the main opposition Congress, which had 15 corporators, has shrunken to just one seat with Manjulaben Pansara the only saving grace for the party.nnPansara won on a general seat from ward number 4.nnThe Congress was affected by a leadership crisis after its city president Vinu Amipara resigned to join the BJP just before the election along with a large number of party workers.nnThe BJP had wrest control of the JMC from the Congress in previous election by winning 44 seats.nnTweeting in Gujarati after the results were declared, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “BJP candidates have registered grand victory in the election to the Junagadh Municipal Corporation and by-election to other district/taluka Panchayats. The people of Gujarat have always trusted politics of development”.nnIn his tweet, Union Home Minister and BJP president Amit Shah said, “Heartiest congratulation to the people of Gujarat for constantly reposing faith in the BJP symbolising development and trust”.nnCongress spokesperson Manish Doshi said the results were unexpected.nn”It is the outcome of infighting within the Congress unit of Junagadh, and we failed in our strategy. We also could not match the level of manipulation played by the other side.nnWe will rectify the mistake and will come back stronger,” he said.nnThe ruling party also won the by-election held for one seat of Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation and a majority of seats of district and taluka Panchayats on which by-polls were held on July 21.nnThe BJP won five seats of district panchayat in by-polls.nnThe party also won 32 out of 43 seats of Taluka Panchayat, while Congress bagged eight seats and three went to Independents.nnThe ruling party celebrated its victory by bursting fire crackers at its state headquarters, ‘Kamalam’, in Gandhinagar.nnSource: Press Trust of India