Gandhinagar, Oct 13 The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s vote share in the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation (GMC) election rose to 56.64 per cent from 46.
11 per cent in 2021, while the Congress also recorded a substantial increase, and the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) share fell sharply, according to figures released after counting on Tuesday.
The BJP secured 3,08,672 votes in the October 11 election, compared with 2,64,902 in 2021. Its vote share increased by 10.53 percentage points, consolidating its position in the state capital’s civic body.
The Congress polled 2,01,913 votes, up from 1,59,669 in the previous election. Its vote share rose to 37.05 per cent from 27.79 per cent, an increase of 9.26 percentage points.
AAP, which had emerged as a significant third force in the 2021 election, suffered the steepest decline. Its vote share dropped to 4.37 per cent from 22.22 per cent, a fall of 17.84 percentage points.
The party received 23,894 votes this time, against 1,27,650 five years ago. The share of other candidates and smaller parties also declined, from 3.88 per cent in 2021 to 1.92 per cent in 2026.
The category received 10,448 votes in the latest election. The figures show that while the BJP strengthened its overall vote share, the Congress also expanded its support base.
AAP’s sharp decline came alongside its failure to win a single seat in the 44-member corporation. In terms of seats, the BJP won 38 of the 44 seats across 11 wards, three fewer than the 41 it secured in 2021.
The Congress won five seats, compared with two in the previous election, while an Independent candidate won one. AAP, which had won one seat last time, failed to retain its representation.
The Congress won all four seats in Ward 6 and one seat in Ward 7. The Independent candidate won a seat in Ward 2, while the BJP swept the remaining wards.
The result allowed the BJP to retain control of the civic body, which was established in 2010. A total of 5,44,927 votes were recorded in the 2026 results, compared with 5,74,525 in the 2021 figures supplied for comparison.
The election was held on October 11, with counting conducted on Tuesday. The BJP also retained the Thara and Okha municipalities. In Thara, it won 19 of 24 seats, with the Congress taking the remaining five.
In Okha, the BJP won 29 of the 32 contested seats and had four candidates elected unopposed, giving it 33 of the 36 seats. The Congress won the other three contested seats. In by-elections to local bodies, the BJP won one seat each in Kheralu, Chhota Udepur and Bayad.
The AAP won one seat in the Devbhumi Dwarka district panchayat, while the Congress won one in the Paddhari taluka panchayat.
The State Election Commission said counting had concluded peacefully. It also said the model code of conduct in the areas covered by the by-elections ceased to remain in force after counting was completed on October 13.