Congress gains in Gujarat local body polls

The Congress on Wednesday made gains in rural and semi-urban areas in Gujarat's local body polls although the ruling BJP retained all six municipal corporations.

The Bharatiya Janata Party won control over the Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar and Ahmedabad municipal corporations in the elections which took place on November 22 and 29.

But it won the Rajkot municipal corporation by just one seat.

In the semi-urban and rural areas with a total of 31 district panchayats, the Congress won in 21 places and the BJP in 10. In 2010, the BJP had bagged 30 district panchayats and the Congress only one.

This was the first popularity test since Anandiben Patel took charge of Gujarat last year after then chief minister Narendra Modi shifted to Delhi as the prime minister.

It was also the first election in the state in the wake of Patel community protests demanding job and education quotas. - IANS