Guwahati, April 24: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led alliance on Sunday secured a clean sweep by winning 58 seats in the 60-seat Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) elections while Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) opened its account in the civic body.

According to the results announced by the Assam State Election Commission, the BJP won 52 wards including the three where the saffron party candidates were earlier elected unopposed while its ally Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) secured six wards out of seven wards it contested.

In a significant development in the civic polls, the AAP and the Asom Jatiya Parishad (AJP), a local party, secured one seat each.

AAP candidate Masuma Begum won ward number 42, while AJP nominee Hukum Chand Ali secured victory in ward number one defeating the BJP and AGP candidates, respectively.

Opposition draws blank 

The main opposition Congress, which fielded candidates in 54 wards, this time, could not open its account in the GMC elections, which were held after a gap of nine years.

The Congress’ ally CPI-M, which contested in four wards, also failed to win any ward.

In all, 197 candidates had contested the elections in 57 wards.

The GMC election was last held in 2013, when Congress won the prestigious civic body but due to internal wrangling several elected councillors in 2014 and 2015 had shifted to BJP facilitating the saffron party to form the municipal board.

AAP gaining ground in Assam

Besides the ruling BJP and the main opposition Congress, the AAP had fielded 38 candidates, giving added importance to the polls.

After its win in the recent Punjab Assembly elections, and buoyed by its first taste of success in two municipal wards in Lakhimpur and Tinsukia districts in last month’s civic polls, the AAP is seeking to expand its base in Assam and in the north-eastern region.

Around 52.80 per cent of the 7,96,829 voters had exercised their franchise in the GMC polls on Friday. Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) were used in the politically important elections.

BJP top brass congratulates people of Guwahati for supporting the party

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP President J.P. Nadda, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma among others congratulated the people of Guwahati for voting the BJP-led alliance.

Modi tweeted: “Thank you Guwahati! The people of this lovely city have given a resounding mandate to BJP to build on the agenda of development. They have also blessed the hardwork of the state government under CM Himanta Biswa Sarma. My gratitude to every BJP Karyakarta for the hardwork.”

Thank you Guwahati! The people of this lovely city have given a resounding mandate to @BJP4Assam to build on the agenda of development. They have also blessed the hardwork of the state government under CM @himantabiswa. My gratitude to every BJP Karyakarta for the hardwork.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 24, 2022

“I bow my head to the people of Guwahati for giving BJP and its allies a historic win in GMC Elections. With this massive mandate, people have reaffirmed their faith on our development journey under the guidance of Adarniya PM Shri Narendra Modi ji,” Assam Chief Minister tweeted.

I bow my head to the people of Guwahati for giving @BJP4Assam & its allies a historic win in #GMCElections.

With this massive mandate, people have reaffirmed their faith on our development journey under the guidance of Adarniya PM Shri @narendramodi ji.@JPNadda @BJP4India pic.twitter.com/AWZ5mqIhc3

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) April 24, 2022