AHMEDABAD: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) suffered a major setback in the Gujarat local body elections, failing to make any significant breakthrough as counting trends pointed to a sweeping performance by the BJP across key municipal corporations and local bodies.In a notable blow, AAP’s leader of opposition in the last general body of Surat Municipal Corporation, Payal Sakariya, lost to the BJP candidate in Ward 16.AAP had fielded around 5,000 candidates in the elections and was hoping to build on its performance in the previous civic polls, where it had managed to win a handful of seats, particularly in the Surat Municipal Corporation. However, the trends suggested the party struggled to convert its campaign into gains.State party president Isudan Gadhvi blamed the ruling party saying, “The BJP is scared of AAP’s growing popularity, because of which cases were filed against AAP leaders during campaigning, and the Facebook and Instagram accounts of the state unit of the party were suspended on Saturday.”Polling was held on Sunday for elections to 15 municipal corporations, 84 municipalities, 34 district panchayats and 260 taluka panchayats.The polls, considered one of the largest electoral exercises in the state ahead of the assembly elections due next year, covered nearly 9,200 seats with more than 4.18 crore eligible voters.According to SEC data, voter turnout stood at 55.1% for municipal corporations, 65.53% for municipalities, 66.64% for district panchayats and 67.26% for taluka panchayats.Among municipal corporations, the newly formed Gandhidham in Kutch district recorded the lowest turnout at 46.03%, while Vapi in Valsad district registered the highest at 72.29%. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation reported a turnout of 51.81 per cent.Polling was conducted for the first time in nine newly created municipal corporations, including Navsari, Gandhidham, Morbi, Vapi, Anand, Nadiad, Mehsana, Porbandar and Surendranagar.The elections were held under revised norms for Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservations, which required extensive delimitation and restructuring of wards in several districts.The BJP, Congress and AAP were the main contenders in the polls, while AIMIM also fielded candidates in several areas. (With agency inputs)
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