Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation polls: 5.9% turnout in first two hours as Gujarat votes
Synopsis
Gujarat's Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation election is under way with a 5.9% turnout in the first two hours — a three-way BJP-Congress-AAP contest across 44 seats. With the BJP having won 41 of those seats in 2021, Sunday's vote is the first real test of whether the opposition has rebuilt its base in the state capital's civic body before the next assembly cycle.
Key Takeaways
Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation (GMC) elections are under way on 11 October 2026 , covering all 44 seats across 11 wards .
Early turnout stood at 5.90% — 15,347 votes out of 2,59,985 registered voters — in the first two hours.
Ward 4 led early turnout at 8.97% ; Ward 9 was lowest at 4.56% .
The BJP won 41 of 44 seats in the last GMC election in October 2021 ; Congress and AAP won one seat each.
Polling in Okha (32 seats) and Thara (24 seats) municipalities, plus by-elections in Kheralu , Chhota Udepur , and Bayad , are running simultaneously.
Vote counting is scheduled for 13 October ; repolling, if needed, on 12 October .
Voting is underway across Gujarat on Sunday, 11 October 2026, with the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation (GMC) elections drawing a 5.90% turnout in the first two hours of polling, according to data released by the State Election Commission (SEC). Balloting is simultaneously under way in Okha and Thara municipalities, along with by-elections to multiple local body seats across the state.
Early Turnout Figures
Between 7 am and 9 am, 15,347 of the 2,59,985 registered voters in Gandhinagar exercised their franchise. Male voters recorded a higher early participation rate of 7.26%, compared with 4.49% among female voters.
Ward 4 led all wards with a turnout of 8.97%, followed closely by Ward 1 at 8.26%. Ward 9 reported the lowest early participation at 4.56%, according to the SEC's poll data report.
What Is at Stake in Gandhinagar
Elections are being held for all 44 seats spread across the GMC's 11 wards, with 130 candidates contesting. The principal contest is a three-way fight among the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Indian National Congress, and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Polling opened at 7 am and will continue until 6 pm, with votes cast through electronic voting machines (EVMs). The last GMC elections were held in October 2021, when the BJP swept 41 of the 44 seats; Congress secured two seats and the AAP won one.
Okha, Thara and By-Elections
In Okha municipality, polling is being held for 32 of 36 seats across nine wards, as four seats were won unopposed. A total of 75 candidates are contesting those remaining seats. In Thara municipality, voting covers six wards and 24 seats, with 59 candidates in the fray.
By-elections are also being conducted for one seat each in the Kheralu, Chhota Udepur, and Bayad municipalities, as well as vacancies in various district and taluka panchayats across Gujarat.
Security and Logistics
The SEC has deployed police and arranged patrols, with heightened presence at polling stations classified as sensitive and hyper-sensitive, to ensure peaceful voting throughout the day. The election schedule was announced on 16 September, triggering the model code of conduct.
What Happens Next
Counting of votes is scheduled for 13 October. Should any booth require a fresh poll, repolling is set for Monday, 12 October. The results will be an early indicator of whether the BJP can replicate its 2021 dominance or whether the Congress and AAP have gained ground in Gujarat's civic landscape ahead of future state-level contests.
Point of View
The BJP won 41 of 44 GMC seats in a near-clean sweep, leaving Congress and AAP fighting over scraps. If the opposition cannot meaningfully narrow that margin in Gandhinagar — the state capital and a stronghold of BJP's administrative machinery — it signals that Gujarat's urban civic space remains largely impenetrable for rivals. The AAP, which has invested heavily in Gujarat since its 2022 assembly campaign, will be watching its solitary 2021 seat retention as a benchmark. The by-elections in smaller municipalities add texture but are unlikely to shift the broader political narrative.
NationPress
11 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What elections are being held in Gujarat on 11 October 2026?
Voting is under way for the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation (GMC) — covering all 44 seats across 11 wards — along with elections in Okha and Thara municipalities and by-elections in Kheralu, Chhota Udepur, and Bayad municipalities, as well as district and taluka panchayat vacancies across Gujarat.
What was the voter turnout in the Gandhinagar GMC election in the first two hours?
The State Election Commission recorded a 5.90% turnout between 7 am and 9 am on 11 October, with 15,347 of the 2,59,985 registered voters casting their ballots. Ward 4 posted the highest early turnout at 8.97%, while Ward 9 was the lowest at 4.56%.
When will the GMC election results be announced?
Counting of votes is scheduled for 13 October 2026. If any polling station requires a fresh poll, repolling will be held on 12 October.
How did the BJP perform in the last Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation election?
In the October 2021 GMC election, the BJP won 41 of the 44 seats, with Congress securing two seats and the AAP winning one. The 2026 election is the first GMC contest since that near-clean sweep.
Which parties are contesting the 2026 GMC elections?
The principal contest is a three-way fight among the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Indian National Congress, and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), with a total of 130 candidates in the fray across 44 seats.
