Gujarat local bodies polls today
Polling for 81 municipalities, 31 district panchayats and 231 taluka panchayats is underway in Gujarat, while the counting of votes will be held on March 2, the State Election Commission said. The SEC officials said voting for 8,473 seats, comprising 2,720 in 680 wards in municipalities, 980 in district panchayats and 4,773 in taluka panchayats, will take place across 36,008 booths.
Some 3.04 crore people in the state are eligible to vote for these polls, and over 44,000 police personnel, including state reserve police units, 12, CAPF companies and 54,000 home guards, will be in place to ensure incident-free voting, they added.
While the BJP has been the dominant force in the state for several years now, Congress believes the fuel price hikes and disenchantment of the people with the ruling party will help it make a comeback.
The Aam Aadmi Party, with 2,097 contestants, and Asaduddin Owaisi's All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM), which has fielded candidates in minority-dominated seats in Godhra, Modasa and Bharuch municipalities, will look to challenge the state's two main parties.
(With PTI inputs)
