Ggn civic polls: Independents bag 20 seats, ruling BJP gets 14
MUNICIPAL POLLS BJP says results an improvement since 2011, turnout recorded at 56%
GURGAON: The ruling Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) suffered a setback in the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) election 2017, bagging only 14 seats after claiming to clinch more than 30.
Out of the 35 seats that went to polls, 20 were bagged by independents while one seat went to an Indian National Lok Dal candidate.
BJP leaders, however, said that the results were a positive step claiming that the party was nowhere during the 2011 elections when it had bagged just 4 seats.
In 2011, 26 independent candidates were elected during the municipal elections. A majority of them later joined the Congress along with Rao Inderjit Singh, now Union minister, and later shifted to the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) along with him.
Mange Ram Sharma, president of World Brahman Federation (WBF) and a prominent personality of the city, said, “For the BJP this is an alarming signal as the voice of voters cannot be ignored.”
The polling percent saw a dip at 56%, with final figures being awaited. In 2011, the polling percentage was 63%.
Most urban voters did not turn out to vote and main polling was recorded from urban villages. The residents of areas near south Delhi also refrained from voting. In urban areas covering wards 19 to 35, BJP has won only five seats.
“The BJP will decide the Mayor and all winning independent candidates are BJP workers who could not get party tickets,” said Haryana PWD minister Rao Narbir Singh.
Party insiders said a tussle had ensued between Rao Narbir Singh and Union minister Rao Inderjit Singh as many winning independents were close to them. Two of the winning women candidates from SC category are from Inderjit’s camp, while one is from Narbir’s side. The Mayoral seat is reserved for a woman from SC category.
Congress, who had not fielded candidates in the polls, said it would have done good.
“The result is a clear indication that if the Congress had contested on its party symbol, the party would have won 25-30 seats and would have got to choose the Mayor also. The election is a rejection of the BJP and INLD who were hobnobbing and fighting with each other,” Ashok Tanwar, president of Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee, said.
“This is loss for BJP in my opinion. I feel people are aggrieved with the BJP. I am sure Gurgaon residents are unhappy with the civic development as nothing has happened in past five years,” said Sube Singh, a resident of Sector 52 and former sapranch of Wazirabad.
“The result are not as per the expectations of the INLD. But it is also a verdict against the policies of the BJP government. The BJP’S Union ministers and state leaders were campaigning but the result is against them” Gopi Chand Gahlot, senior leader Indian National Lok Dal.
MOST URBAN VOTERS DID NOT TURN OUT TO VOTE. MOST POLLING WAS RECORDED IN URBAN VILLAGES. AREAS NEAR SOUTH DELHI ALSO SAW POOR TURNOUT