Surendranagar: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday announced the office-bearers for the newly formed Surendranagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), appointing Rakesh Rathod as the city’s first mayor.

Smitaben Rawal has been named deputy mayor, while Nikhil Champaneri has been appointed chairman of the standing committee. Swatiben Mandaliya has been named party whip (dandak), and Pintuben Asaniya has been appointed leader of the ruling party.

The announcement came during the second phase of appointments of civic office-bearers across Gujarat following the recent local body elections, in which the BJP registered a sweeping victory in 15 municipal corporations.

Notably, this was the first municipal corporation election in Surendranagar after its upgradation from a municipality to a municipal corporation. The BJP secured a landslide victory by winning 51 out of 52 seats in the civic polls. DeshGujarat