Local polls: Gujarat Cong chief, opposition leader quit

Ahmedabad, March 2

In view of the Congress’ debacle in the elections to local bodies in Gujarat, state unit president Amit Chavda and Leader of Opposition Paresh Dhanani resigned from their posts on Tuesday.

Chavda said people had raised doubts about EVMs and all these things should be probed.

A party spokesperson said it was now up to the top brass of the Congress to decide the future course of action.

“Taking the responsibility of the election results as state Congress chief, I have submitted my resignation to party president Sonia Gandhi,” Chavda told reporters, adding that he would work as a common party worker from now on.

On Tuesday, the ruling BJP won all the 31 district panchayats, 70 out of 81 municipalities, and was far ahead of its main rival Congress in the 231 taluka panchayats.

The saffron party has won 6,110 out of the total 8,474 seats for which results have been declared so far.

The Congress could bag only 1,768 seats and has won only three municipalities but failed to open account in any district panchayat. The Grand Old Party could win only a few taluka panchayat bodies.

“The election results are totally opposite to what our expectations were. We had received good responses from people during our campaigning but results do not reflect it. People have raised doubts on EVMs and all these things should be probed,” Chavda said.

Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi confirmed that Dhanani has also sent his resignation to the party leadership in Delhi.

“The party leadership has received both the resignations. Now it is up to the party brass to decide on the replacement of these leaders,” Doshi said.

He said the Central leadership of the Congress has asked Chavda and Dhanani to continue on their posts till the time their replacements are announced.

In the first phase of civic polls held last month in Gujarat, the BJP had won all the six municipal corporations. PTI