Counting of votes is underway for the local body elections in Gujarat. Voting was held on Sunday for elections to 15 municipal corporations, 84 municipalities, 34 district panchayats and 260 taluka panchayats in the state.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has reportedly secured a massive win in the Gujarat local body elections 2026, bagging all 15 municipal corporations.
The party has crossed the 50 per cent mark in each corporation, according to a Hindustan Times report.
An inspirational story has now emerged from Mehsana, where a peon, Rameshbhai Bhil, won Ward 13 of the municipal corporation and became a councillor.
Served tea for 28 years
Rameshbhai Bhil worked as a peon at the BJP’s state office and had been serving tea to party leaders and visitors for 28 years. In the 2026 Gujarat civic elections, the party expressed confidence in Rameshbhai and nominated him as the candidate from Ward No. 13, reported NDTV Hindi.
Bhil said he contested the election and won by a margin of over 4,000 votes, adding that the entire panel had also won.
"We are very happy. I will work under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with development as my focus. I worked as a peon for over 28 years," he said as quoted by NDTV.
Reportedly, the BJP has also emerged as the dominant force in rural local bodies. In 34 district panchayats comprising 1,090 seats, the saffron party won 568 seats, while Congress secured 77 and others 30.
Across 260 taluka panchayats with a total of 5,234 seats, the BJP won 2,397 seats. Congress secured 591 seats, while others claimed 329, highlighting the party’s broad-based lead beyond urban areas.
