Civic polls: Senior Congress and BJP leaders fail to ensure win on home turfs
RESULT Congress won 23 of 49 urban local bodies while the BJP managed to win just six
JAIPUR: The civic poll results show that senior Congress ministers BD Kalla, Raghu Sharma and BJP leaders Rajendra Rathore and Kiran Maheshwari failed to ensure their party’s win in their areas.
The results were declared on Tuesday night with Congress winning 23 of 49 urban local bodies while the BJP, considered strong in urban areas, managed to win only a paltry six.
On basis of results, the stalwart leaders in both parties could find their standing in the party diminish, said political commentator Narayan Bareth.
He said that infighting in the Congress impacted the party’s performance. “If they had fought unitedly, the party could have performed better. However, the party has found renewed vigour after the results and will hope to better its performance in the panchayat polls,” he said.
Bareth said the larger concern was for the BJP which is considered strong in urban areas. “The BJP has found its urban bastion being breached. They should analyse if there vote bank is shifting. Issues of nationalism, Ram temple and abrogation of article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, which could have found resonance in urban areas seem to have had limited impact,” he said.
In Bikaner, the home district of Public Health Engineering Department minister BD Kalla, the Congress won on 30 of 80 wards while the BJP bagged 38 and independents won 12.
Congress faced defeat in Ajmer, the home constituency of health minister Raghu Sharma. In Pushkar, the BJP won 14 of 25 wards, Congress won 9 and two went to others.
In Nasirabad, BJP won 10 of 20 wards while the Congress got eight and independents won two.
Labour minister Tikaram Jully too could not lead Congress to victory in Alwar.
Congress won 19 wards in Alwar against the BJP’S 27 and 19 wards went to independents.
Bhiwadi saw a tie between the Congress and BJP at 23 each with independents bagging 14 wards.
Thanagazi saw the Congress ahead by a whisker, winning 10 wards against BJP’S 9. Independents won in 6.
Deputy leader of opposition and senior BJP leader Rajendra Rathore could not lead BJP to victory in Churu. Congress won 36 wards as against 17 to the BJP and 7 to independents in Churu.
In Rajgarh, Congress won 15 seats to BJP’S 11 while 14 were bagged by independents.
BJP lost in former minister Shrichand Kriplani’s home turf of Chittorgarh. BJP won 24 wards while Congress got 36 wards in Chittorgarh. In Nimbaheda, BJP won 16, Congress won 28 and one was bagged by an independent.
Former cabinet minister Kiran Maheshwari too led the BJP to defeat. In Nathdwara, the BJP won in 10 wards while Congress won 29 and independents won one.
In Amet, the BJP won only eight wards against 17 for the Congress.
In Didwana, the home constituency of former cabinet minister Yunus Khan, the BJP fared poorly. It won only five wards while Congress won 25 and independents won 10.