BJP government has ended anti-incumbency in Gujarat, says Jadeja

“If this trend continues, Congress cannot save itself… The way BJP has created a record in these polls, while the Congress, too, has created its own record of losses in the state,” Jadeja said referring to the municipal corporations elections held on February 21 and the polls for municipalities, district and taluka panchayats held on February 28.

Jadeja, who also holds the portfolio of legislative and parliamentary affairs, said, the BJP in the 2021 local body polls in Gujarat gained 32 per cent more seats when compared to the last polls held in 2015.

“The mandate of this government has risen since 2017 assembly polls… If the political results are analysed today, then BJP has emerged victorious in 90 per cent of the state,” the minister added.

“Our leadership had decided that those who have completed three terms, those have completed 60 years and those who are nearest kin of leaders will not be given tickets,” he said while analysing the reasons for the success of BJP which has been ruling in Gujarat for more than two decades now.

“The Congress instead of picking their workers, ended up picking their kin to fight the polls. In Porbandar, Arjun Modhwadiya’s (former Congress president) relative lost; in Una, Punjabhai Vansh’s (MLA) son lost; in Khedbrahma Ashwin Kotwal’s (MLA) family member lost; in Bhiloda, Dr Anil Joshiyara’s (MLA) kin lost; in Khambhaliya, Vikram Madam’s (MLA) family member,” said Jadeja. He also named Junagadh, Narmada, Sojitra, Petlad and Kutch, where the kin of Congress leaders lost the polls.

He said Congress had scored a “zero” in Surat and did not open its account district panchayats polls in Panchmahal, a tribal district. “In the 12 taluka panchayats of Panchmahal, they scored a zero,” he said in the House in presence of Congress MLAs.