Gandhinagar: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has set a new record in Gujarat’s political history during the ongoing local body elections, securing more than 700 seats unopposed.

On Wednesday, the final day for withdrawal of nomination forms, over 400 candidates from the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) withdrew their nominations within a span of four hours, leading to an unprecedented number of uncontested victories for the BJP.

The State Election Commission had announced elections for 9,992 seats across municipal corporations, municipalities, taluka panchayats, and district panchayats, scheduled for April 26. However, following scrutiny and withdrawals, candidates have so far been declared elected unopposed on 724 seats. Voting will now be held for the remaining 9,237 seats on April 26.

Table detailing the candidates and seats for the local self-government elections:

Note: These details represent the situation as of 11:00 PM on Wednesday; the State Election Commission was expected to clarify the final numbers on Thursday.

Among all local bodies going to polls, the BJP has recorded its strongest performance in municipalities, winning the highest number of seats unopposed across 84 municipalities. In Kadi Municipality, the party has already secured a two-thirds majority even before polling. Additionally, the BJP is set to assume power unopposed in more than eight municipalities, including Bayad, Gandevi, and Shehra.

In taluka panchayats, BJP candidates are reported to have secured a majority in over six out of 260 bodies.

In municipal corporation elections, nine of which are newly formed, more than 40 BJP candidates have been elected unopposed. This includes 11 in Porbandar Municipal Corporation, 12 in Anand, and five in Mehsana. In both Vadodara and Ahmedabad municipal corporations, two BJP candidates each have been elected unopposed.

An official announcement confirming the exact figures is expected from the State Election Commission on Thursday.

The withdrawal process on Wednesday witnessed high-voltage scenes across several districts, including Vadodara, Surat, Mehsana, and Banaskantha. Offices of Mamlatdars and Prant Officers saw chaotic situations for nearly three hours as candidates arrived in large numbers to withdraw nominations. Congress and AAP leaders alleged coercion, accusing the BJP of engaging in “buying and selling” of candidates. In some areas, law and order issues were reported, prompting police deployment.

Local body elections in Gujarat are held every five years and cover over 70 percent of the state’s geographical area. Over time, their scope has expanded due to delimitation and increasing urbanisation.

Historically, the number of unopposed BJP candidates has risen sharply. In 2015, only 37 BJP candidates were elected unopposed. This number increased to 220 in 2021 and has now crossed 700 in the current elections, marking a record.

The outcome of local body elections in Gujarat has traditionally influenced Assembly elections held the following year. The next Gujarat Assembly elections are scheduled for October 2027, approximately 18 months away.

After the withdrawal phase, a total of 25,516 candidates from the BJP, Congress, AAP, and independents remain in the fray for the 9,237 seats going to polls. Candidates will have nine days for campaigning, from April 16 to 6 pm on April 24, ahead of polling on April 26. DeshGujarat