The Gujarat local body elections have officially been announced. As per the schedule released by the State Election Commission, voting will be held on April 26 for 15 municipal corporations, 84 municipalities, 34 district panchayats, and 260 taluka panchayats across the state.

With this announcement, the Model Code of Conduct has come into effect from today, meaning the government will not be able to make any new announcements or policy decisions until the election process is completed.

Counting on April 28; Elections in Two Phases

The counting of votes will take place on April 28, just two days after polling, and results will be declared the same day. According to the Commission’s plan, elections for municipal corporations will be conducted in the first phase, followed by district panchayats, taluka panchayats, and municipalities in the second phase.

The administration has completed all necessary preparations to ensure that the elections are conducted smoothly and peacefully.

Delimitation Completed, Final Voter List Today

The delimitation (SIR) process in the state, which had been ongoing for a long time, has now been completed. Following this, the Election Commission is set to release the final voter list by this evening.

Based on this updated list, lakhs of new and existing voters will exercise their franchise in the upcoming elections. Earlier, delays in the delimitation process had postponed the elections, leading to the appointment of administrators in several local bodies.

Political Activity Intensifies Over Candidate Selection

With the official announcement of elections, political activity has picked up pace. Major parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have accelerated the process of selecting candidates.

The BJP has deployed observer teams across districts and cities to gather feedback from grassroots workers and aspirants. Other political parties are also expected to announce their candidates soon.

How This Election Differs from 2021

Compared to the 2021 local body elections, this year’s process is slightly different. In 2021, elections were announced on January 23 and concluded by March.

However, this time, due to the delimitation exercise, elections were delayed even after the term of local bodies had ended. With the announcement of April 26 as the polling date, the Election Commission has now put all speculations to rest. Voters are gearing up to elect their new local representatives.