Surat: Counting day in South Gujarat threw up a series of interesting political twists, with close contests, shifting equations and notable firsts across local bodies.In Songadh taluka panchayat, the BJP and Congress ended in a tie, winning nine seats each. A similar neck-and-neck contest was seen in Netrang, where both the BJP and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) initially secured eight seats each. However, a subsequent result in favour of a Congress candidate altered the final tally, reducing the BJP to seven seats and making AAP the single largest party with eight.Congress MLA Anant Patel played an active role during the elections, mobilizing tribal voters and reportedly ensuring that several candidates did not withdraw their nominations. Despite these efforts, he could not secure a win in his native Unai seat, where BJP’s Arjun Patel emerged victorious in the Navsari district panchayat polls.In Bharuch municipality, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) registered a significant breakthrough, with its panel winning for the first time. The BJP, however, retained control of the municipality with 29 seats, while Congress secured 10.The BJP also made gains in Vagra taluka panchayat, winning 15 of the 18 seats to take control of the body for the first time. Meanwhile, the AAP captured Valiya taluka panchayat, winning 11 of the 16 seats — another first for the party in the region.Navsari Municipal Corporation (NMC), which went to the polls for the first time after its formation, saw a sweeping victory for the BJP. The party won 50 of the 52 seats. In a closely fought contest, BJP candidate Asif Barodawala won Ward 4 by a margin of 51 votes, defeating Congress’s Mustufa Chaudhary.
