Initial trends in counting of the votes polled indicate that the BJP is leading in most of the local bodies in the Gujarat panchayat and municipality elections. Counting for elections of 24 district panchayats, 208 taluka panchayats and 53 municipalities held on Thursday, is in progress amidst tight security arrangements.
Out of the total 24 district panchayats, BJP is leading in 22 while the Congress is leading in two which includes Gandhinagar and Tapi. The BJP is leading in 48 taluka panchayats while the Congress is leading in 19 out of the total 208 while counting is in progress for other seats.
In the municipalities, the BJP is leading in 20 while the Congress is leading in five. There are total of 4,875 seats for district and block panchayats polls while 1,890 seats for municipalities.
There were 2,074 candidates in fray for district panchayats, 10,489 candidates for block panchayats and 5372 candidates for municipalities. The polls have high stakes for the main parties of the state, as chief minister Narendra Modi led BJP is keen to defeat Congress after his party's win in municipal corporation polls, while the latter wants to get back at the ruling party.
The BJP, upbeat from the victory of the municipal corporation polls, campaigned extensively with Modi and other party leaders addressing three to four public rallies a day each in different parts of the state.
The Congress had called its national leaders like Subodhkant Sahay, Sachin Pilot, Jyotiraditya Scindia and state Congress in-charge Sudhakar Reddy to campaign along with state leaders.
Out of 24 district panchayats, Congress had won six in the last elections. The party had won about 20 block panchayats out of 208, while out of the 53 municipalities, it bagged in six. The BJP won elections to the six municipal corporations recently, the results of which were announced on October 10.