BJP secures clean sweep in Guwahati civic polls

Guwahati, April 24 (IANS) The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led alliance on Sunday secured a clean sweep in the 60-seat Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) elections.The saffron party won 58 seats, while one each went in favour of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Asom Jatiya Parishad (AJP). According to the initial results announced by the Assam State Election Commission, the BJP (52 wards) and its ally Asom Gana Parishad (six wards) won in 58 wards, including the three which were earlier elected unopposed by the saffron party candidates.AAP candidate Masuma Begum won ward number 42, while AJP nominee Hukum Chand Ali secured victory in ward number one defeating the BJP candidates. The main opposition Congress this time could not open its account in the GMC elections, which were held after a gap of nine years. In all, 197 candidates had contested the elections in 57 wards.The GMC election was held after a gap of nine years. In 2013, Congress won the prestigious GMC elections but due to internal wrangling several elected councillors had shifted to BJP facilitating the saffron party to form the municipal board.Besides the ruling BJP and the main opposition Congress, the AAP has fielded 38 candidates, giving added importance to the polls.Around 52.80 per cent of the 7,96,829 voters exercised their franchise in the polls on Friday.Electronic Voting Machines were used in the politically important elections.
--IANS sc/ksk/

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