The Hindu : National : Congress loses Porbandar municipality to BJP

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Friday, Oct 28, 2005

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National

Congress loses Porbandar municipality to BJP

Manas Dasgupta

Makes impressive gains in local body poll

GANDHINAGAR: The Bharatiya Janata Party has made impressive gains in local body elections in Gujarat. It has dethroned the Congress from most of the district, taluka panchayats and municipalities that went to the polls on Tuesday.

The counting of votes, which began on Thursday morning, was slow and the results trickled in. But indications available till late this evening clearly demonstrated a pro-BJP swing in localities where the voters had overwhelmingly supported the Congress in the 2000 elections.

The Congress received a major jolt in Porbandar. For the first time in 42 years, the Congress lost control of the municipality to the BJP, which was marching ahead in the district and taluka panchayats too. Hometown of acting State Congress president Arjun Modhvadia, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, the upset defeats in the district do not augur well for the party.

Congress retains Dhoraji

The BJP also gained control of the municipality in the communally sensitive Modasa town in Sabarkantha district, winning all 21 seats. The party was back in power in Kadi municipality in Mehsana district, Dehgam in Gandhinagar district and Deesa in Banaskantha district. The Congress retained control of Dhoraji municipality in Rajkot district.

After its impressive win in the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation elections a fortnight ago, the BJP repeated the performance in Kutch-Saurashtra and the north and central Gujarat regions.

The Congress was only marginally ahead in south Gujarat, where it is expected to retain control of the Bulsar district panchayat.

Out of the 735 seats in 23 district panchayats, results were declared for 45. The BJP won 28 and the Congress seven. Of the 3,756 seats in 209 taluka panchayats, results were out for 850.

The BJP got 548 and the Congress 240. Of the 1,737 seats in 49 municipalities, results were declared for 690 seats. The BJP won 409, the Congress 144 and Independents and others 139.

The Congress was in power in 20 of the 23 district panchayats and a majority of the 209 taluka panchayats and 49 municipalities.

The final picture is expected to emerge only by Thursday evening, a spokesman of the State Election Commission said.

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