Cong leading in majority of seats in Punjab rural polls

Chandigarh, Sept. 22: Congress candidates of panchayat samiti and zila parishad ( ZP) polls in Punjab are leading in a majority of seats, a state election official said on Saturday. A total of 354 zila parishad members and 2,900 panchayat samiti members will be elected in these elections, the polling for which was held on September 19.

Thirty- three candidates of ZP polls and 369 nominees of panchayat samiti elections have already been declared unopposed. Candidates of the ruling Congress were way ahead of their political rivals on majority of seats of zila parishad and panchayat samitis, the official said, adding the final result will be declared later on Saturday night after compiling reports from all districts.

The Shiromani Akali Dal- Bharatiya Janata Party ( SAD- BJP) combine appears to have suffered a setback in these polls after a gap of 10 years, while the AAP, it seems, has almost been routed.

In Gurdaspur, where the result was declared, the Congress won 212, out of 213 panchayat samiti seats and the remaining was won by an Independent candidate.

In case of ZP, the Congress registered victory in 18, out of 25 seats and was leading in the rest, the election official said.

Terming the poll results “yet another endorsement of government’s policies and programmes,” Amarinder Singh claimed it reflects a “total rejection of the opposition’s malicious campaign” against the ruling party.

Accusing the opposition parties of trying to thwart free and fair poll process, with “cheap pressure tactics and false propaganda”, he congratulated the people of Punjab for standing firm against attempts to sway them.

The chief minister also lauded the state election commission, civic and police administration, and all poll officials for ensuring smooth conduct.

He asserted that this was the fourth consecutive “humiliating” defeat of the SAD- BJP combine, after back to back victories of the Congress.— PTI