Soni, a homemaker, whose election symbol was a glass tumbler, added that the voters of the ward had assured her of their support during the campaign, even offering refreshments to her supporters and family members accompanying her during the campaign.The Godhra municipality in Panchmahal district usually sees a large number of independents win. This time, of the total 44 seats, 23 were won by the BJP, 17 by independents, and four were uncontested.Meanwhile, the results from Ward no. 7, drew much attention.Apeksha Soni, who contested as an independent candidate from Ward no.7 (which has a Muslim majority vote), secured 2,762 votes to emerge as the fourth winner after OBC woman candidate Ayesha Sohail Aarif Dhantya, OBC reserved candidate Sajid Sikander Kalla, and general candidate Anwar Hussain Ahmed Sujela. The other three winners are also independents. While the Aam Aadmi Party had fielded a candidate [who lost], the BJP, Congress, and even the AIMIM did not field any candidates from this ward.Also, Soni is not a registered voter in the ward she contested from. Despite this, the locals backed her with a strong margin, underscoring local confidence in her candidature. Soni’s victory has been widely welcomed, including by BJP leaders, who were seen extending their warm congratulations to Soni outside the counting center.Speaking on her win, Soni called it a moment of “great joy”. “I received strong support from people in the ward, and the mandate is a reflection of communal harmony and faith. My victory is symbolic of brotherhood and mutual respect…”Stating that she would take up civic issues of water scarcity, drainage problems, and waste management, she said, “We will work as the people expect and ensure these problems are addressed… It is a great responsibility that the voters have chosen me even though I am not a voter of their ward.”Soni, a homemaker, whose election symbol was a glass tumbler, added that the voters of the ward had assured her of their support during the campaign, even offering refreshments to her supporters and family members accompanying her during the campaign. “They have lived up to their promise. Now it will be my commitment to fulfill their expectations,” she said.