The BJP achieved a clean sweep as it won 107 out of 122 seats across the local bodies in the union territories of Dadra Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (DNHDD) and bagged a majority in all the bodies that went to the polls after the party won more than 75 per cent of the seats unopposed. The Congress Party won two seats and the rest were won by independents, including a rebel candidate from the saffron party, with the results announced on Saturday.
Elections to municipal bodies, district panchayats and gram panchayats in the union territory DNH and DD were held on November 5.
Of the 16 seats in Daman Panchayat district, the BJP won unopposed on 10 seats, and in the elections held on the remaining six seats, the BJP won five seats, the one seat going to independent candidate Dharmishta Patil who defeated BJP candidate, Ritaben Patel from Marwad 1st ward.
In the Daman Municipal Council (DMC), the BJP won 12 of the total 15 seats, unopposed, while elections were held for the remaining three seats. Of these, BJP candidates won two seats, while Jayantilal Mittal, who contested as an independent after rejecting his daughter’s nomination, won the remaining seat defeating BJP candidate Tandel Laxman. Jayantilal Mittal was an active BJP worker and his daughter Anita Jayantilal Mittal won the 2020 DMC elections from another ward. This year, her ticket was denied by the party. BJP district president Bharat Patel had suspended Jayantilal Mittal for six years for contesting the elections as an independent candidate against the party’s candidate.
In DNH District Panchayat, out of 26 seats, BJP candidates won 17 seats, and in the elections held on the nine seats, BJP won seven seats (the remaining two seats) went to Congress candidates Sureshbhai Radha from Umarkoi Panchayat and Amratbhai Vartha from Kelvani Panchayat.
In the eight-seat Diu panchayat, the BJP won all the seats after winning five seats unopposed.
In Daman Municipal Corporation, the BJP won 14 out of 15 seats, and in Daman Gram Panchayat, out of 16 seats, the BJP candidate won 15 seats.
Story continues below this ad
In the Silvassa Municipal Council, the BJP won all 15 seats. Likewise, out of the 26 gram panchayat seats, BJP-backed candidates won 16 seats, and the remaining seats went to Congress-backed candidates and independents.
In 2020 in Daman DP, BJP won 11 out of 16 seats, in Daman MC, BJP candidates won 10 out of 15 seats, similarly in DNH DP, BJP won all the seats as JD(U) elected candidates joined BJP. Meanwhile, in Silvassa Municipal Corporation, out of 15 seats, BJP candidates bagged 14 seats, with JD(U) candidates joining the BJP. One seat went to the independent.
Mahesh Agarya, BJP president of DNHDD, said, “The local body election result is historic… in the history of DD and DNH; our party has never achieved such a result. I was appointed state president of DD and DNH three months ago, before the elections. On the third day of my appointment, I toured all the gram panchayats, district panchayats and municipal councils in DD and DNH that were going to polls. I met people, exchanged updates on development in the district and also motivated Our party leaders and members get to work.
“In the 26-seat gram panchayat elections in DNH, our pro-candidates won 16 gram panchayats. In Daman, our pro-candidates won 15 panchayats. The opposition party is making baseless allegations about rejection of its candidates. I wanted to report that the 17 forms we submitted to the gram panchayat in DNH have been rejected. We have not raised any objections or raised any issues,” he added.
(Tags for translation) BJP sweeps UT polls
