CONG BETTERS BJP IN RAJ LOCAL BODY BYPOLLS
JAIPUR: The Congress got a reason to rejoice in Rajasthan on Tuesday as it won all the four zila parishad, 16 of the 27 panchayat samiti seats and six urban local body seats, in the recently held bypolls .
This comes a day after the party registered a significant improvement in its tally in Gujarat, where assembly election results were declared Monday.
The ruling BJP in Rajasthan could win only 10 panchayat samiti seats, but performed a little better in urban local body where it won seven wards — one more than Congress.
The ruling party, however, could not retain even a single of the four zila parishad seats —Banswara, Bhilwara, Jalore and Karauli.
The bypolls to 27 panchayat samitis of 19 districts, 14 nagar palikas of 13 districts and four zila parishads were held on December 17. One seat each of the panchayat samiti and the nagar palika (municipality) went to independent candidates.
State Congress president Sachin Pilot said the results show that the days of BJP government in the state are numbered. “The countdown to their fall has begun,” he said.
Pilot said Congress won three out of four assembly by-elections (Weir, Nasirabad, Surajgarh and Kota) after the 2013 state polls. The party’s tally in the Assembly is 24. BJP has 160 MLAS.
He said the state government was working against the sentiments of people. “The government has ignored people for last four years,” he added.
State BJP president Ashok Parnami, however, sought to water down the Congress euphoria. “Results have come out to be equal for both parties. These are small elections and are related to local candidates and equation,” he said.
Parnami said of 27 panchayat samiti seats, BJP lost three, but gained one in municipality. The Congress, he said, gained only one in Zila Parishad. “There are many seats such as Chhabra, Siwana, Lalsot, Manoharthana, Deedwana and Beawar, which were with Congress but where BJP candidates have won,” he added.