Both BJP and Congress claimed that Gandhinagar's civic election result is a win for them.
It's a tie. The BJP and the Congress have each won 16 seats in the municipal corporation of Gujarat capital Gandhinagar. Winning the prestigious local body election was an important piece in the political plans of both parties.
Both are also claiming that today's result is a win for them. "We have managed to win seven seats in the rural part of the corporation in comparison to just one in 2011. So we have made inroads," said BJP spokesperson Bharat Pandya, also pointing out that the party has lost one seat with a margin of just 15 votes.
"Despite the fact that the BJP used its machinery, muscle power and money, our dedicated workers managed to win a good number of seats. Though a clear cut verdict could have been more apt," said the Congress' Nishit Vyas.
The Congress had won the 32-ward corporation in the 2011 elections, getting 18 seats to the BJP's 15. But three years later, three Congress corporators walked over to the BJP, which then took over the corporation.
Both sides say they fear horse-trading with the number of seats tied.
The Congress, politically diminished in the state for many years, had hoped to extend its winning streak in local body elections earlier this year.
Today's results are a breather for the BJP after it fared badly in those local body elections, particularly in the rural areas. Also, Gandhinagar is seen as a traditional Congress stronghold.
The BJP, which has ruled Gujarat for nearly two decades including 13 years with Narendra Modi as chief minister, urgently needs to consolidate after a tough year that also saw it grapple with the massive Patel agitation for reservation.
A number of the Gandhinagar wards have many Patel voters, but that, say observers, has not worked against the BJP today.
There are also a significant number of government employees and members of Other Backward Castes or OBCs in Gandhinagar.