Congress gains Kheda after 18 years

In some consolation after the drubbing in assembly elections, Gujarat Congress has registered victory in district panchayat (DP) elections of Kheda, which was a stronghold of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for 18 years.

State Election Commission (SEC) on Tuesday announced results of DP elections in Kheda and Banaskantha and of 15 taluka panchayat (TP). Congress retained Banaskantha, while it also registered victory in five talukas. BJP won in nine. No party got majority in Dantiwada TP.

Of the 41 seats in Kheda DP, BJP won 18 seats – a reduction of six seats from previous election. The defeat is being seen as repercussion of resignation of Rakesh Rao, who quit as president of Kheda DP when BJP denied him ticket in state polls. Congress has won 22 seats; thus registering a majority.

BJP’s defeat in five out of nine assembly seats of Banaskantha in recently-concluded state hustings has helped Congress retain its bastion, albeit by a slim margin. Of the 55 seats here, Congress has won 28 seats – seven less than in the previous polls. BJP has won 26 seats, which is a gain of six, but it’s not enough to claim a majority. One seat is vacant due to death of a candidate.