Counting is underway for elections to six Municipal Corporations in Gujarat and the BJP is leading after winning 40 seats so far out of the total 576, the State Election Commission (SEC) said on February 23.

The Congress has so far won nine seats, it said.

Polling for the 576 seats in 144 wards across six civic bodies — Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, Vadodara, Bhavnagar and Jamnagar — was held on Feb. 21.

The BJP ruled all these civic bodies for last several terms.

The counting of votes began at 9 a.m. on Feb. 23.

After three hours of counting, the SEC said the BJP has till now emerged victorious in 40 seats, including five in Ahmedabad, eight in Rajkot, four in Surat, nine in Vadodara, and seven each in Jamnagar and Bhavnagar.

The Congress has so far won seven seats in Vadodara and one each in Bhavnagar and Jamnagar.

An average 46.1% voter turnout was recorded in the elections to the six civic bodies on Feb. 21.

The Municipal Corporation elections are being seen as a test for Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, as it may set the tone for the State Assembly polls due next year.