July 04, 2026 06:00 pm (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
'Why can't citizens protest against the government? They are being made slaves by slapping cases': Bombay HC slams Mumbai Police, quashes activist's externment | 'First he cheats on me...': Siya Goyal's old pub video goes viral amid probe into fiancé Ketan Agarwal's alleged murder | Ronaldo's goal, Ramos' last-gasp winner send Portugal past Croatia, set up Spain clash | India-US trade deal almost done! Piyush Goyal hints at breakthrough | Ram Mandir donation scam: Champat Rai points finger at his own driver | PM Modi welcomes Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi as India-Japan ties enter a new era | 'Not an isolated incident': India slams Pakistan after 125-year-old historic Gurdwara is demolished | Ram Mandir donation theft: Six accused were employed by Varanasi-based security firm, probe reveals | Ayodhya Ram Temple donation theft: Probe says majority of money was allegedly stolen during Kumbh Mela | Commercial LPG price slashed by Rs 183.50 from July 1; check new rates in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai
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.