As per the results declared on Tuesday, BJP won 115 seats, while four seats went to AAP and a single seat was won by the Congress. In the 2021 SMC elections, the BJP won on 93 seats, followed by the AAP on 27 seats and not a single Congress candidate won the election.THE SURAT Municipal Corporation (SMC) elections saw 95 Congress candidates, 77 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidates, and over 135 Independent and smaller-party candidates lose their deposits. In the rout of the opposition, the BJP regained ground it had lost among the Patidar constituency after the 2015 quota agitation.From 48.93 per cent (%) of the votes in 2021, the party has seen its vote share rise by 10% points to 58.51%.A total of 483 candidates contested on 120 seats in 30 wards of Surat Municipal Corporation, out of which 120 were from the BJP, 117 from Congress, 111 from AAP and other smaller parties and Independents.As per the results declared on Tuesday, BJP won 115 seats, while four seats went to AAP and a single seat was won by the Congress. In the 2021 SMC elections, the BJP won on 93 seats, followed by the AAP on 27 seats and not a single Congress candidate won the election.The Patidar voters in Surat are migrants from Saurashtra and north Gujarat largely powering the diamond business. In the SMC elections held in 2015 after the Hardik Patel-led quota agitation, the Patidar-dominated wards that had never seen the Congress winning saw 33 of the 120 seats going to the oldest party. The situation saw another turn in 2021 when the AAP displaced the Congress, winning 27 seats from the Patidar wards. But this time the seats are reduced to just four, while the Congress won only one.A political observer said on Wednesday, “In some areas like Adajan, Rander, Varachha, and Katargam, where the BJP candidates had to face public anger. In many residential societies, the political parties were not allowed to enter for political campaigns. Yet the party won with a thumping majority. There are many seats where BJP candidates won with a smaller vote margin, and on such seats, the votes got split among AAP and Congress, and BJP got the benefit of it.”The Congress had fielded 117 candidates of which 95 lost their deposits save Arshad Jariwala whose was the lone seat the party won, a first after five years. Of the 111 AAP candidates, 77 had lost their deposits.Story continues below this adOf 14.68 lakhs voter, a total of 49.23 lakh votes were cast on 120 seats, as a single voter has to give four votes. Of the total votes, the BJP received around 28.84 lakh votes, followed by the AAP with around 10.64 lakh votes, and the Congress with around 7.72 lakh votes. The candidates of the BJP, AAP, and Congress received around 47.21 lakh votes, while other smaller parties and independent candidates received 2.07 lakh votes. A total of 24,198 people voted for NOTA on 120 seats. The majority of 1953 NOTA votes were polled in ward no. 10 (Adajan Pal Ichhapore), while fewer – 322 – NOTA votes were polled in ward no. 15 (Karanj Maghob). Kamal Saiyed is a senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, providing extensive, on-the-ground coverage from Surat and the broader South Gujarat region and the Union territories of Daman, Diu & Dadra Nagar Haveli. With a reporting career at the publication spanning back to 2007, he has established himself as a high-authority voice on the industrial, social, and political pulse of one of India’s fastest-growing urban hubs. Expertise Industrial & Economic Beat: Based in the "Diamond City," Saiyed offers expert reporting on the diamond and textile industries. His work tracks global market shifts (such as De Beers production changes), local trade policies, and the socio-economic challenges facing the millions of workers in Surat’s manufacturing hubs. Civic & Infrastructure Coverage: He consistently reports on urban development and public safety in Surat, including: Traffic & Urban Planning: Monitoring the city's 13-fold increase in traffic violations and the implementation of new municipal drives. Public Safety: Investigative reporting on infrastructure failures, fire safety NOC compliance in schools and commercial buildings, and Metro rail progress. Political Reporting: Tracking the shifting dynamics between the BJP, Congress, and AAP in South Gujarat and the neighboring Union Territories (Daman, Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli). Crime beat: Armed with a good source network Saiyed has been able to bring out the human side of crime stories in his region ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd