Salaya: After the results of the recently held local body polls, the main opposition party, Congress, has managed to form the board in just one of the 68 municipalities that went to elections. This municipality is Salaya in Dwarka, where it secured a majority. Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party (SP) took charge in two municipalities in Porbandar.

In Salaya, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will serve as the Opposition after winning 13 out of 28 seats, with the remaining seats going to Congress. Julekhaben Abbasbhai Bhaya was elected as the municipality’s president, and Salemamadbhai Jusabbhai Bhagad was appointed vice president, according to Congress’s Devbhumi Dwarka District President Mohammad Yassin Gajjan.

Meanwhile, the BJP has formed boards in 65 out of the 68 municipalities where elections were held last month. In Porbandar, SP secured control in the Kutiyana and Ranavav municipalities.

In Kutiyana, Shantiben Maldebhai Odedara was elected president, while Kana Sarman Jadeja assumed the vice president’s role, SP state general secretary Ram Sevak Sahani confirmed. In Ranavav, Gitaben Jitendrabhai Bhutiya was elected president, and Ramaben Bharatbhai Piprotar was appointed vice president.

Why did Congress win the Salaya Municipality election? The answer lies in demography

While achieving a 96 percent victory ratio in the local elections across Gujarat, the BJP failed to win even a single seat in the 28-seat Salaya municipality.

So why couldn’t the BJP secure a single seat in the Salaya municipality election? The answer lies in demographics. Salaya is predominantly populated by Muslim voters, who traditionally prefer to vote for Congress. However, in the recently declared election results, a significant number of Muslim voters appear to have shifted their support to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Out of the 28 winners, only two are Hindus (both from AAP), while all others are Muslims. There is no SC or ST reservation here; otherwise, more Hindus could have won as reserved candidates. Meanwhile, the BJP has won the other two municipalities in Dwarka district—Bhanvad and Dwarka.

DeshGujarat