Ahmedabad, January 24:  Polling for Gujarat local body elections for 75 municipalities, two Nagar panchayats, 17 taluka panchayats and 1,400 village panchayats will be held on February 17, 2018. The counting has been scheduled for February 19, two days after the polls. After a victory in 2017 Gujarat Assembly elections, the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party in the state is now preparing to win the upcoming bypolls in the state.

As per 2011 Census, Gujarat had a population of over 6.03 crore, representing 4.99% share of the national total. The General Assembly Elections in Gujarat in 2017 was a high-stake election in the state with BJP winning for yet another term in the state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and master strategist Amit Shah combined juggernaut continues to steamroll regional elections state by state.

As per result declared by the Gujarat State Election Commission, BJP had registered a victory in Vapi municipality of Valsad district by gaining 41 out of total 44 seats, leaving only three seats for Congress. The ruling BJP also won with a thumping majority in the polls to Kanakpur-Kansad municipality of Surat, capturing 27 out of 28 seats, leaving only one to Congress. Reports state that in Rajkot, BJP gained its stronghold on Gondal taluka panchayat from Congress after it went for a mid-term poll. The BJP had won 18 out of total 22 seats while the Congress settled for only four.

As per reports, Gujarat SEC had conducted by-elections on 29 seats of various municipalities, taluka panchayats and district panchayats across the state as seats fell vacant. Of the total 16 seats of different municipalities, BJP had bagged 14 while Congress had to settle for only two seats.

In the last week, Madhya Pradesh Nagar Palika and Nagar Parishads were held where 20 urban local bodies went into polls. The BJP and Congress won 9 president posts each while the independent party bagged 1 president's post. Counting of votes in one civic body - Semriya Nagar Parishad - did not begin due to technical reasons.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 24, 2018 12:58 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).