The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has once again asserted its dominance in Surat Municipal Corporation, registering a massive victory in the civic elections by winning or leading in 115 out of 120 seats, reaffirming its strong grip over one of Gujarat’s most important urban centres.

The results dealt a major setback to the opposition, with the Congress managing to secure just one seat, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won four seats, failing to significantly challenge the BJP’s urban stronghold despite high-profile campaigning.

The sweeping mandate highlights the BJP’s continued popularity in Gujarat’s municipal politics, especially in Surat, where the party has maintained a firm political base over the years.

This year’s election saw an intense three-way contest, with the BJP contesting all 120 seats, while Congress fielded candidates in 117 seats and AAP contested 111 seats. In total, 483 candidates remained in the fray across 30 wards after scrutiny and withdrawals.

According to election officials, 1,059 nominations were initially filed for the 120 seats. However, after the scrutiny process, 561 nomination papers were rejected, and 16 candidates withdrew, narrowing the final contest to 483 contestants.

The elections were conducted under a three-tier security arrangement, with authorities maintaining heightened vigilance to ensure peaceful polling and counting.

The civic polls also assumed significance because they were held under the revised reservation structure for Other Backward Classes (OBCs), prompting all major parties to intensify efforts to attract voters from key communities.

The BJP mounted an aggressive campaign in Surat, with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel taking charge of the party’s outreach efforts, reinforcing the party’s development agenda and organisational strength.

On the other hand, the Aam Aadmi Party, which has been trying to expand its base in Gujarat after earlier electoral gains, deployed its top leadership, including Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, to campaign in the city.

Despite these efforts, AAP failed to repeat its previous momentum, while the Congress continued to struggle to regain relevance in Gujarat, where it has remained out of power for over two decades.