August 20, 2026 10:47 pm (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
Jadavpur erupts again: ABVP-SFI clash, police barricades shattered as fresh tension grips area | Ex-Congress MP and 1984 anti-Sikh riots convict Sajjan Kumar dies while serving life sentence | India hits back at Pakistan: Structures outside High Commission demolished in Delhi | ‘Don’t daydream about my bedroom’: Kangana Ranaut fires back at Ramdev over ‘Gen Z’ row | Jadavpur University erupts at midnight: ABVP-Left student groups clash over meeting, BJP-CPI(M) leaders trade barbs | Vijay govt calls for action to stop students, youth from joining CJP, Left protests | Kolkata hotel fire kills 9: Bengal Minister Agnimitra Paul targets ex-TMC govt, CESC over licences | Kolkata hotel fire: 9 Bangladeshi nationals, including women and a child, die in massive blaze | Tarun Tejpal faces life term? Goa govt moves Supreme Court after 2013 rape conviction | Supreme Court rejects ‘less painful’ death penalty plea, but leaves door open for future change
Muslim voters backed independent Hindu candidate Apekshaben Soni from the Godhra ward. Phpoto: X/Viral image.

Godhra sends harmony message: Hindu independent candidate wins Muslim-majority ward

| @indiablooms | Apr 28, 2026, at 08:20 pm

In a striking result from Godhra, Apekshaben Naineshbhai Soni, an independent Hindu woman candidate, has won from Ward Number 7 — a constituency reported to have an entirely Muslim voter base.

Her victory is being seen as a landmark moment in the town’s local political history, especially given Godhra’s often-cited communal past.

Muslim voters backed independent candidate

Despite not being a registered voter in Ward 7, Apekshaben Soni secured the trust of residents and won with a significant margin.

Observers say Muslim voters backed her by prioritising local governance and trust over traditional caste or religious voting lines.

The result has been hailed by many as a strong message of communal harmony and grassroots democracy.

BJP sweeps Gujarat’s urban polls

The result came amid a wider sweep by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) across Gujarat’s urban local body elections.

The BJP retained control of all 15 municipal corporations, including a dominant performance in Ahmedabad, where it won 146 of 192 seats, while Congress managed 18.

In Surat, the BJP won 115 seats, reducing the Aam Aadmi Party to four. Similar victories were recorded in Rajkot and Vadodara, where the BJP won 65 seats each.

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.