BJP grabs power in Ahmedabad Campaign trail

The Bharatiya Janata Party swept to power in the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation unseating its traditional rival, the Congress and providing fresh proof that Chief Minister Narendra Modi's love affair with the people still endures.

Simply put, it was billed as Modi versus the rest encounter and the Gujarat chief minister has emerged victorious.

The result of this civic poll is expected to have a major bearing on politics within the BJP as well as inter-party politics in Gujarat.

Modi soon goes into the next engagement with the opposition local elections in Gujarat political muscles pumped and adrenaline flowing.

It was a repeat performance of the last Assembly polls though in microcosm this time as the BJP bagged 96 seats and the Congress trailed way behind with 32 and a lone independent brought up the rear in the 129-member civic body, the biggest in Gujarat.

The BJP held 59 seats in the outgoing civic body to the Congress's 65 with five independents.

In hindsight, the high-profile management of the BJP challenge in a mere municipal corporation election by Modi, which was being seen as a strategic blunder, has proved a master stroke.

The Congress team went into battle without a general as the state unit is headless following the death of B.K. Gadhvi while the chief minister himself led the BJP assault on the congress citadel.

Modi personally spearheaded the BJP campaign with public meetings,road shows and door to door campaigning.

The result is a vindication of Modi because it comes despite the rising dissidence within the party directed against him and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad's clear decision that it would not pitch in in favour of the BJP.

The results have for the time being also put the dissidents on a sticky wicket.

The Akhil Bhartiya Jan Sangh, which had 20 candidates in 16 municipal wards and campaigned vigorously on the Hindutva plank attacking the BJP also failed to make an impact.

Turnout
Voters show indifference

The polling in the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation elections on Thursday was marked by voter indifference as reflected in the 30.49 per cent polling poor by any standards.

The low turnout worked in favour of the ruling party in the state.