Ahead of the upcoming Gujarat Gram Panchayat elections scheduled for 22 June 2025, the State Election Commission has announced that 751 panchayats have been declared completely unopposed across the state. This means these panchayats will not go through polling as no opposing candidates have filed nominations.
Bhavnagar district leads with the highest number of unopposed panchayats 102 in total. It is followed by Jamnagar with 60 and Banaskantha with 59 such panchayats.
This development comes after strong appeals and efforts by local MLAs, leaders, and officials to promote ‘samras’ (consensus-based) governance at the grassroots level. Additionally, the announcement of large cash rewards and grants for unopposed panchayats encouraged many villages to resolve their elections peacefully and without contest.
However, not all areas witnessed harmony. In some panchayats, candidates chose to boycott the elections due to local disputes or dissatisfaction, and no nominations were filed in those areas.
As per the schedule:
Voting for the remaining contested panchayats will take place on 22 June 2025
Results will be announced on 25 June 2025
Before this, by elections for Kadi and Visavadar assembly seats will be held on 19 June 2025, for which campaigning has already ended.
These unopposed panchayats reflect a growing sense of unity and a shared goal for peaceful rural development in Gujarat.
