The BJP’s expansion is most evident in municipal corporations, where its tally surged from 483 seats in 2021 to 937 in 2026. The Congress improved its count from 55 to 95 seats, while the Aam Aadmi Party, which had emerged as a challenger with 27 seats in 2021, declined sharply to just 4 seats. In municipalities, the BJP increased its control from 75 bodies to 78, while the Congress rose modestly from 4 to 6.
In district panchayats, the BJP’s strength grew from 31 to 33, while the Aam Aadmi Party opened its account with a single win. Across approximately 9,200 seats contested statewide, the BJP not only fielded candidates in nearly all constituencies but also recorded the highest strike rate, particularly in municipal corporations where it converted a large majority of candidatures into victories.
Urban Gujarat emerged as the BJP’s strongest base. In Ahmedabad, the party secured 160 out of 192 seats. It achieved complete victories in Morbi and Porbandar, winning every available seat in both corporations, and also swept newly formed corporations such as Vapi and Navsari. The BJP ultimately secured all 15 municipal corporations across the state.
The Congress, despite registering incremental gains, remained far behind. In Ahmedabad, its tally rose from 24 to 32 seats, while in Rajkot it improved from 3 to 7 seats. However, the party failed to secure control of any major urban body.
The Aam Aadmi Party experienced its most significant setback in Surat, where its representation fell from 27 seats in 2021 to just 4 in 2026, marking a steep erosion of its urban presence. The party, however, managed a limited breakthrough in rural Gujarat by winning the Narmada District Panchayat.
The election campaign featured contrasting strategies led by Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi. Rahul Gandhi focused on issues such as unemployment, welfare delivery, and the Agniveer scheme, particularly targeting tribal regions including Narmada and Dangs. While this approach yielded limited gains in select rural pockets, it did not translate into a broader electoral shift. Narendra Modi remained the central influence in urban Gujarat, where the BJP not only retained but expanded its support base.
The results underline the BJP’s entrenched dominance across Gujarat, marked by a substantial rise in seat share and comprehensive control over urban governance structures. With the Congress showing only incremental progress and the Aam Aadmi Party’s earlier gains largely reversed, the outcome sets a decisive tone ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, placing the BJP firmly in the lead while the opposition continues to struggle to narrow the gap.
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