The Congress party delivered a stunning upset in the Khadia ward of Ahmedabad’s Old City, winning all four seats and ending more than four decades of uninterrupted dominance by the Bharatiya Janata Party. Although the Bharatiya Janata Party secured an overwhelming majority in the overall municipal corporation elections with 160 seats, its complete defeat in Khadia became the most striking outcome. The ward had remained under the party’s control since the 1980s, tracing its roots back to the earlier Jan Sangh era.

In the 2026 election, Congress candidates defeated prominent Bharatiya Janata Party nominees, including a former corporator and the son of a former Ahmedabad mayor. Each of the four Congress candidates secured higher vote counts across general and women’s seats, marking the first time in over 40 years that the Bharatiya Janata Party failed to win a single seat in the ward.

The campaign in Khadia was sharply polarized, with controversial remarks and communal rhetoric drawing criticism from both sides. However, local civic concerns appeared to play a decisive role. Residents cited frustration over illegal construction, unauthorized commercial units, polluted drinking water, and persistent drainage issues, along with allegations that some local leaders had failed to act on these problems.

The ward also saw a significant drop in its electorate, shrinking by more than 23,000 voters compared to the previous election. During this period, Congress leaders maintained active grassroots engagement, which observers say contributed to the party’s breakthrough victory and the end of a four-decade political stronghold.