Gujarat Local Polls: Uncontested Seats Triple to 733, Dominated by BJP
In the upcoming Gujarat local body elections scheduled for April 26, 2026, a record 733 candidates have been declared winners without contest, marking a three-fold increase from the 241 uncontested seats in the 2021 polls. The State Election Commission confirmed that the majority of these victories, specifically 724 seats, were secured by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This surge occurs amidst a total of 10,005 seats up for election. The opposition Indian National Congress attributed this outcome to internal failures in candidate selection and alleged coercion by the BJP using administrative and financial power. Conversely, the BJP accused the Congress of lacking organizational strength and forcing candidates to remain in the race despite having no chance of winning. Additionally, candidate withdrawals rose to 1,663, compared to 1,485 in the previous cycle. In municipal corporations, 43 out of 1,004 seats were decided uncontested. The significant rise in uncontested wins highlights the shifting political dynamics and organizational disparities between the major parties in the region ahead of the voting date.
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Gujarat Local Polls: Uncontested Seats Triple to 733, Dominated by BJP
In the upcoming Gujarat local body elections scheduled for April 26, 2026, a record 733 candidates have been declared winners without contest, marking a three-fold increase from the 241 uncontested seats in the 2021 polls. The State Election Commission confirmed that the majority of these victories, specifically 724 seats, were secured by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This surge occurs amidst a total of 10,005 seats up for election. The opposition Indian National Congress attributed this outcome to internal failures in candidate selection and alleged coercion by the BJP using administrative and financial power. Conversely, the BJP accused the Congress of lacking organizational strength and forcing candidates to remain in the race despite having no chance of winning. Additionally, candidate withdrawals rose to 1,663, compared to 1,485 in the previous cycle. In municipal corporations, 43 out of 1,004 seats were decided uncontested. The significant rise in uncontested wins highlights the shifting political dynamics and organizational disparities between the major parties in the region ahead of the voting date.
The Indian Express