Ahmedabad, Feb 18 (NationPress) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has reaffirmed its supremacy in Gujarat's local body elections, achieving a remarkable victory in the Junagadh Municipal Corporation by winning 48 out of 60 seats during the polls held on February 16.

As reported by the State Election Commission (SEC), the BJP had already won eight seats unopposed prior to the voting, which saw ballots cast for the remaining 52 seats.

Of these contested seats, the BJP secured 40, with the principal opposition party bagging 11, and one independent candidate winning from Ward No. 9.

The BJP also celebrated notable successes in Sanand Municipality and attained a halfway mark in Bavla Municipality, both situated in Ahmedabad district. In Sanand, elections occurred for 27 of the 28 seats since one seat was won unopposed by the BJP. Out of the 27 contested seats, the BJP emerged victorious in 24, while the Congress party managed to gain only three.

In Bavla Municipality, the BJP reached the halfway milestone with 14 out of 28 seats, whereas Congress secured 13 seats, and one seat was won by a BSP candidate.

This tight competition may create an intriguing political landscape in Bavla, as no party has secured a definitive majority yet.

The third municipality in Ahmedabad district, Dhandhuka, also participated in the elections, but its results are still pending, according to the State Election Commission.

The BJP achieved a clean sweep in the district panchayat by-elections, claiming all nine seats. This included two seats in Ahmedabad and one each from Mehsana, Gandhinagar, Panchmahal, Dahod, Bharuch, Dangs, and Botad. Notably, in Panchmahal, a BJP candidate won unopposed.

While the BJP has seen victories across various municipalities, Dakor Municipality has resulted in a political stalemate.

In the 28-seat Dakor Municipality, BJP secured 12 seats, while independent candidates won 14 seats, resulting in no party achieving a clear majority.

Interestingly, the Congress did not win a single seat in Dakor, representing a significant blow to the opposition in this area.

These elections were particularly noteworthy as they marked the initial implementation of newly established reservation policies for women, Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) in several local bodies.