NINE NEW municipal corporations and a new district will be among the 393 local self-government bodies in Gujarat that will go to polls on Sunday across over 9,000 seats that will be held simultaneously.This is the first election being held after the state government raised the quota for Other Backward Classes (OBC) to 27 per cent (%) from the existing 10% where over 700 seats have declared uncontested winners, majorly from the BJP. The number of uncontested seats is more than three times higher than the previous elections to these bodies held in 2021.While BJP is in power in a majority of these bodies, having claimed a vote share of over 50% in the previous elections, its main challengers are the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).This is also the first election being held after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) where Gujarat reported 68.12 lakh (or 13.4%) voters deleted from the electoral rolls which was the highest among the states that went under the revision in the second phase.As per the final electoral roll – a total of 4.18 crore voters – 2.16 crore male and 2.02 crore females and 965 others are expected to cast vote to elect new local bodies.In a video message on Saturday, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel appealed to the public to register a 100 per cent turnout in the elections on Sunday, polling for which will begin at 7 am and go on till 6 pm.The entire election process will be held through EVMs. “For these elections, fresh EVMs were purchased including 52 CUs (control units) and nearly 60,000 BUs (ballot units),” the State Election Commission authorities said.Story continues below this adThe BJP is viewing these elections as a bellwether for the Assembly elections due next year. Party sources said that apart from feeling the pulse of the public, it will also give a sense of the “dissent” within that manifest in several BJP candidates contesting as Independent candidates after being “denied” tickets.“For us, these elections are of immense importance. It will set the tone for the Assembly elections and the distribution of power among the ranks will be done after these elections. As it is the major way for the party to give electoral power to its ranks at grassroot level,” a party source said.Party sources also believe that more than any Opposition political party, they are facing challenge from within or from the rebels who are fighting against the party after being denied tickets.A senior party leader said as a fallout of internal dissent, they are likely to face damage to a certain extent.Story continues below this ad“But, when the party has become so big, such dissent is expected. And I believe that it may result in the number of seats won by the party going down, but the party will certainly remain in power in most local bodies.”Party sources also say that they do not see much of anti-incumbency. “By nominating more than 70% of new candidates on all the seats going to polls, that aspect (anti-incumbency) has been taken care of by the party,” sources said.At many places, BJP candidates have faced protests by people during campaigning.Referring to this, a party leader said, “Yes, people are protesting at many places. But I think it is a good sign for the party. It shows that they still have hope on us and have not given up on us.”Another party leader said, “Raising of the OBC quota and the recent defeat of the Constitution Amendment Bill related to women’s reservation in the Lok Sabha will help it getting votes in the current elections”.Story continues below this adVoting will be held on a total of 9272 seats across Gujarat’s municipal corporations, municipalities and panchayats which include 15 municipal corporations including the new ones: Karamsad-Anand, Nadiad, Gandhidham, Morbi, Surendranagar, Mehsana, Vapi, Navsari and Porbandar besides the six existing ones of Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Bhavnagar and Jamnagar.The newly formed Vav–Tharad district, declared barely five months ago, will also vote. By-elections will also be held on 13 seats of 11 nagarpalikas the same day. Only two municipal corporations-Junagadh and Gandhinagar-will not go to elections.As per the election schedule announced by the Gujarat State Election Commission (SEC) on April 1, election was to be held on a total of 10005 seats – local body general elections for 9992 seats and 13 nagar palika seats where bypoll is being held.However, with candidates withdrawing from the contest or finding their nominations invalidated, 733 seats have been declared uncontested and will not go through an election of which “over 700” are BJP candidates as per an admission by the State BJP chief Jagdish Vishwakarma.Story continues below this adIn the previous general election to local bodies held in February 2021, the number of seats declared as uncontested out of a total of 9,050 for which elections were declared across local bodies were 241.In the 15 municipal corporations where elections were to be held on 1004 seats, 43 seats have already been declared as uncontested.The election this time has also witnessed a rise in withdrawals. Against 1,485 withdrawals of nominations in February 2021 elections, 1,663 candidates withdrew their nominations, this time.Apart from the new municipal corporations, seven new nagarpalika and 17 new taluka panchayats and 53 talukas that saw delimitations will go to polls.