Junagadh civic election result, some observations

Junagadh Municipal Corporation election(population 3 lakh) results are out. The BJP has lost the election by margin of 4 seats. The Congress has secured 26 seats out of 51 with clear majority of one seat in total. This was the second election of Junagadh Municipal Corporation. In earlier election in 2004, the BJP had won 35 seats. Before 2004, Junagadh was just a Nagarpalika.

Though proper post mortem of the results can be done only after getting complete figures, here are some preliminary observations on the result.

Lok Sabha result repeated

The BJP had secured less votes than the Congress in Junagadh city area in Lok Sabha elections, three months back. Todays result is somewhat on the same line.

BJP had dropped 24, repeated only 6 corporators

To avoid surely prevailing anti-establishment wave, the Bharatiya Janata Party had dropped its 24 sitting corporators in the election. Even candidature of existing Mayor, Standing Committee Chairman, leader of the party was not renewed. Only six corporators were repeated. Disappointment among the section of workers and local leaders was obvious. BJP fielded good candidates to replace the corrupt and non-performing ones. But then, in a small city, few unhappy leaders or workers are enough to spoil the game as they are more experienced than the decent, honest new faces.

Modi was not enthusiastic enough on ground

Chief Minister Narendra Modi did not address a rally for the party in Junagadh election. Before recent aerial survey of flood hit areas in Junagadh district, Modi lastly visited Junagadh to address a public meeting of farmers on the occasion of state government run Krushi Mahotsav. He then dedicated Cheetahs in Junagadh’s Sakkarbag zoo on the same day. Modi and many other state leaders were busy in Gujarat assembly session, when campaign for Junagadh elections was on its height.

Sops didn’t work

Recently in the state budget, Gujarat govt announced special Sorath(Junagadh district) Tourism development project worth hundreds of crore rupees. Then in a meeting of state wild-life board at Gandhinagar, Chief Minister Narendra Modi cleared Junagadh’s much awaited Girnar rope way project and approved transfer of forest land to Usha Breko company to develop a 1.5 km long rope way to the highest mountain of Gujarat. In last budget the Junagadh Municipal Corporation announced the works worth Rs 75 crore but that too didn’t work, or say worked little for just 21 seats and not more.

Bad and corrupt administration, a key reason of defeat

BJP’s five-year governance in Junagadh was highly unpopular. The Congress party lead successful agitation on House Tax issue. Poor quality of roads, weak patchwork due to corruption, dustbins and garbage container issue, construction of wrong size gutters not in accordance with the closes in tender, some gutter constructed without solid flooring, commercial buildings completely ignoring laws, and not providing parking facility, blocked uncleaned rain water discharging passages due to lethargy of the local administration, mushrooming illegal buildings(Zanzarda road), middle class person not getting title clear certificate due to illegal construction by builder, Vidhat Smashan Gruh problem etc. were some of the major issues that contributed to unpopularity of BJP ruled civic authority. Good officers R.K.Pathak (in Municipal corporation) and DySP Usha Rada and PSI S.N Mehta (in police) worked well(Pathak for roads and Rada and Mehta for traffic), but the political body didn’t support them much. This attitude was disliked by the people.

None of BJP’s five Muslim candidates could win

The BJP had nominated five Muslim candidates in the election, 10% of all the tickets, but none could win. All the Muslim candidates elected are from Congress, leaving one from BSP. Junagadh has 20% Muslim population. Muslims can dominate three out of the total of 17 municipal wards, this means 9 seats. Muslims traditionally are committed voters of Congress.

Congress will have to take care of its corporators

Out of total 51 seats, Congress has won 26, BJP 21, BSP 3 and independent 1. Now in such scenario, the Congress party will have to take care well of its elected corporators. Only two corporators are enough to change the game in future. In local bodies, if you have a thin margin, some emotional or greedy corporators are always in a mood to revolt. It should be noted that in Junagadh only, five BJP councilors including ex deputy mayor had joined Congress party before Lok Sabha election early this year. The BJP councilors who joined Congress including ex- deputy mayor Capt.Satish Virda, Geeta Solanki, Vijay Vora, Rekha Parmar and Lakhabhai Parmar had said that they were dissatisfied with BJP’s functioning and could not even satisfy people of their wards. Among these corporators Satish Virda who is known as Satish Capton is possible candidate for the post of Mayor in Junagadh. BJP had to suffer in some areas due to Satish Virda switching over to Congress.

BJP secured more votes than the Congress

Though defeated in seat numbers, the BJP has secured more votes than the Congress in Junagadh. BJP spokesperson I.K.Jadeja said “we accept the verdict of the people and will sit in the opposition to work for the development of Junagadh. The BJP has got 1,34,739 votes while Congress got 1,20,533 votes. Thus we have secured 14,206 more votes than the Congress.”

It should be noted that the total number of voters in Junagadh was 1,98,000. Of them about 30,000 are Muslims who traditionally vote for Congress. The voting turnout was about 57%.

The post of Mayor is reserved for next five years

As per the law, for the post of Mayor in Junagadh, first two and half years are reserved for the OBC candidates and rest two and half years tenure is reserved for the SC/SC candidates. Candidates from any other class would not be able to become Mayor of Junagadh.