Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation polls on October 11

In 2021, BJP registered a thumping victory in state capital by winning 41 of the 44 seats; Okha and Thara nagarpalikas will also go to polls on October 11

The Gujarat State Election Commission on Wednesday announced elections to the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation (GMC) and the Okha and Thara nagarpalikas, with polling scheduled for October 11. The results are expected to be out on October 13.

With 11 wards, the GMC has 44 corporator seats.

In a press release, the State Election Commission said notification for the elections will be issued on September 21. The last date to file nominations will be September 26. The nominations can be withdrawn by September 29. Voting will be on October 11 and counting of votes will take place on October 13.

Founded in 1966, Gandhinagar civic body got the status of municipal corporation in 2010. It witnessed its first elections in April 2011, with the Congress narrowly winning it. In 2016, the GMC had 32 seats and there was a tie between Congress and BJP, with both parties winning 16 seats each. However, Congress councillor Pravin Patel defected to the BJP, allowing the saffron party to form the board in the municipal corporation.

Later, the number of wards and seats of GMC increased to 11 and 44 respectively after areas along the periphery of the state capital were brought under the GMC through a delimitation exercise. In 2021, the BJP registered a thumping victory in the state capital by winning 41 of the 44 seats, while Congress won two and the AAP one.

Apart from the GMC, the SEC has also declared general elections of Okha and Thara nagarpalikas in Devbhumi Dwarka and Banaskantha districts, respectively. It has also declared by-elections of seven seats that fell vacant for various reasons in various local bodies of district and taluka panchayats.

The commission said the elections to the three local bodies would be conducted through electronic voting machines (EVMs).