Congress breaches BJP’S urban bastion, wins 23 of 49 local bodies in the state
NEXT Polls to elect chairpersons will be held on November 26, results to be out the same day
JAIPUR: The Congress breached the BJP’S urban bastion, winning in 23 of the 49 urban local bodies, results for which were declared on Tuesday.
The polls to elect chairpersons of local bodies will be held on November 26 and results will be declared the same day while elections for deputy chairpersons will be held on November 27 and results will be declared the same day.
The results were a setback for the BJP which has traditionally been strong in urban areas. The saffron party managed to win a clear majority in only six urban local bodies and was in a position to form the board in another nine of them.
The consolation for the party was that managed to retain the Bikaner and Udaipur municipal corporations and won more seats than the Congress in the Bharatpur municipal corporation.
The Congress got 36.67 percent vote share in the polls while the BJP got 33.43 percent and independents got 27 percent.
The Congress’s comprehensive win was a shot in the arm for chief minister Ashok Gehlot. The CM’S decision to remove the property clause from the EWS reservation paid off handsomely in the polls as it cut into the BJP’S upper caste vote bank.
In a tweet, Gehlot said, “The results are as per our expectations. It’s heartening to know that people have given the mandate based on the government’s good performance. I want to assure people that we will not leave any stone unturned in doing our work.”
Congress spokesperson Archana Sharma said, “We have a clear majority in 23 of the local bodies and we will form the board in another eight.”
Political analyst Narayan Bareth said the results were a relief for the Congress. “Despite the infighting in the party, the Congress has managed a good show. The results will strengthen Gehlot’s position in the party.”
He said after the Lok Sabha
JAIPUR: State Congress President Sachin Pilot said, “I am happy with the mandate received by the Congress party. At around 21 places, the party have received clear mandate and at rest places we are in position to form board with the help of others.”
He said the result shows that BJP’S illusion of being strong in urban areas
the party was demoralised but with the win in the bypolls and the civic polls, the party funct i o n a r i e s wi l l work wi t h renewed vigour.
Of the total 2105 wards, Congress won in 961while the BJP won 737. Independents won in 386 wards while the BSP notched a win in 16 and the CPIM in 2.
Three wards – Bhiwadi, Roopwas and Kanod – ended in a tie while in Pilani, it was the indepen dents who will call the shots, doesn’t stand anywhere. People have appreciated government’s work. The results are encouraging and every leader and worker of the party worked hard and dedicatedly.
Pilot said the opposition failed to divert people on emotional issues. “I thank the people for supporting congress. I want to tell the opposition that Congress and its workers are more active in government as were there in opposition.”
winning 30 wards while the BJP won 3 and the Congress won 2.
In 2014 when the BJP was in power, of the 1696 wards, BJP had won 931 while the Congress had won 446 whereas independents won 313 seats. The BSP had won on 4 seats and the CPIM on 2.
In 2009, with the Congress at the helm, the party won 717 of the 1612 wards while the BJP won in 581. Independents emerged victorious in 302 wards, the BSP in 8, the CPIM in 3 and the NCP in 1.
State Congress president Sachin Pilot said the results were an endorsement of the work done by the Gehlot government and had broken BJP’S illusion that it is strong in urban areas.
BJP tried to highlight issues of nationalism, the SC verdict on the Ram temple, abrogation of article 370 but these issues did not cut ice with the people. BJP also tried to pin down the government on the issues of failure to deliver on farm of loan waiver, unemployment dole and the rising crime rate, reimposing the toll tax on state highways. But voters seem to have rejected these issues too, said Bareth.
State BJP chief Satish Poonia said the results were not a mandate in favour of the Congress. “The Congress has got only 36.67 percent of the vote share. So 63 percent of t he people have rejected the Congress government.”
He said the government had designed wards in such a manner that they had more wards. They got scared of direct elections because there national issues would have been more prominent and they would have lost. He claimed the government had misused its machinery.