Gujarat civic polls results 2021 LIVE: Gujarat Cong chief resigns; PM Modi hails BJP win

Casting aspersions on the credibility of the EVMs, Gujarat Congress president Amit Chavda remarked, "The poll results are completely not what we had expected. Youths are unemployed and they were complaining to govt. There was a lot of hard work by our workers and we accept the mandate given by the people. The results are contrary to our expectations. The electoral process and EVM system should be checked. The results were not as per expectations and this raises questions on the electoral process. I congratulate the winners."

Reacting to BJP's win in the Gujarat local body polls, PM Modi stated, "Urban and rural Gujarat has given a unanimous message. I admire the pro-people administration of the Gujarat government and the tremendous efforts of the Gujarat BJP workers. Our party will always work for the development of Gujarat and the empowerment of every Gujarati."

Municipality election results:

BJP- 1967 seats, Congress- 356 seats, AAP- 6 seats

District panchayat election results:

BJP- 735 seats, Congress- 157, AAP- 2 

Union Home Minister Amit Shah hailed BJP's victory in the Gujarat local body polls. He commented, "In the Gujarat local body elections, the people and farmers of the rural areas have made the BJP victorious and put a seal of trust on the welfare policies of the government. I bow to the masses." He added, "Modiji-led BJP governments are constantly committed to the welfare and development of the country's poor, farmers and disadvantaged communities." He also congratulated Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani, Deputy CM Nitin Patel and state BJP chief CR Paatil for the win.

Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee president Amit Chavda and Leader of Opposition Paresh Dhanani have tendered their resignation to the party's high command after the back-to-back losses in the local body polls. As per sources, their resignation has been accepted. 

As of 4 pm, here is the break down of seats released by the State Election Commission: 

As of 3 pm, here is the break down of seats released by the State Election Commission: 

Break down of SEATS across the state at 2 pm

                              Taluka panchayat      District panchayat      Nagarpalika 

• BJP                1636                        382                            1182   
• Congress          625                         84                              214
• Independent       51                           1                                73
• AAP                    16                           1                                  2
• BSP                      5                           1                                  2
• Others                  6                           1                                10

District Panchayat - Total 31 
BJP-31, Congress and Others- 0 

Nagarpalika (Municipalities)-  Total 81 
BJP-67, Congress-3, Others- 0 

Taluka Panchayat- Total 231 
BJP-185, Congress-7, Others 0

Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi's All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) marked its debut in Gujarat polls by winning seven seats in the civic body of Ahmedabad. Results of polls to six municipal corporations were declared last week, and AIMIM, which fielded 22 candidates in six wards, ended up with seven wins in two wards.

In Gujarat, each ward of a municipal corporation has four seats. While a panel of four candidates won in Jamalpur ward, three out of its four contestants won in Maktampura ward in Juhapura area of the city.

Those who won in Jamalpur included former Congress corporators Mohammad Rafiq Shaikh and Mushtaq Khadiwala, while the third victor, Bina Parmar, was a new face.

The AIMIM did not field candidates in Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Bhavnagar and Jamnagar, which also witnessed civic polls on February 21 along with Ahmedabad.

(PTI)

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani last week said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has emerged as a challenge for the main opposition Congress in the state.

The AAP, which bagged 27 seats in Surat city in the February 21 civic elections, will not have any success in the coming polls to municipalities and district panchayats in the state, he claimed.

"AAP candidates have only won the seats which were with the Congress earlier. So the party has emerged as a major challenge for the Congress (and not for the BJP)," the chief minister said, replying to reporter's question at Bavla near Ahmedabad.

The AAP has breached the Congress' citadel and become an alternative to the party in Gujarat, he said.

"Apart from Surat, the AAP did not win a single seat in other cities. And none of its candidates will win in the coming local body polls. As in the cities, the BJP's winning streak will continue in rural areas," Rupani said.

Gujarat BJP president C R Paatil, however, had said the AAP's entry into Gujarat was "very painful" and the BJP will try to find a way to "deal with" the new entrant.

The AAP made inroads in Gujarat politics by winning 27 seats in the Surat Municipal Corporation even though the BJP retained power by winning 93 seats in the 120- seat civic body.

The Congress, which had won 36 seats in the SMC in the last elections, drew a blank.

The BJP managed comfortable victories in all six municipal corporations - Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, Vadodara, Bhavnagar and Jamnagar.

(PTI)

District Panchayat - Total 31 
BJP-15, Congress and Others- 0 

Nagarpalika (Municipalities)-  Total 81 
BJP-54, Congress-3, Others- 0 

Taluka Panchayat- Total 231 
BJP-51, Congress-7, Others 0

District Panchayat - Total 31 
BJP-28, Congress and Others- 0 

Nagarpalika (Municipalities)-  Total 81 
BJP-60, Congress-6, Others- 0 

Taluka Panchayat- Total 231 
BJP-158, Congress-17, Others 0

Counting of votes for polls to 81 municipalities, 31 district panchayat and 231 taluka panchayat began on Tuesday. The polling took place on Sunday with municipalities recording a voter turnout of 58.82%, while the figure was 65.80 for the district panchayats and 66.60% for taluka panchayats. The final figures were released by the State Election Commission on Monday.

Re-polling was held during the day in a booth in Ghodiya in Jhalod taluka of Dahod district after two EVMs were damaged during Sunday's polling by three people. The booth recorded around 50% turnout during the re-poll, officials said.

Police on Monday said 17 people were arrested in Vadodara for allegedly taking custody of EVMs after polling late Sunday evening in Tarsva in Waghodia taluka.

The mob had claimed the EVMs were tampered and police had to fire a round in the air and lob four teargas shells to bring the situation under control, said a Waghodia police station official.

Polls were held for 8,235 out of 8,474 seats as candidates were elected unopposed on 237 seats and no forms were submitted in two, SEC officials said.

For the 8,235 seats, the BJP fielded 8,161 candidates, Congress 7,778, Aam Aadmi Party 2,090, among others, said the SEC.