Express News Service
JAIPUR: The ruling Congress has marched well ahead of the BJP in the panchayat elections for six districts of Rajasthan. The Ashok Gehlot-led Congress has won 670 panchayat samiti seats and is likely to form the board in 4 of the 6 Zila Parishads that went to polls.
The Congress has secured majority in Jaipur, Jodhpur, Sawai Madhopur, and Dausa districts while the BJP gained majority in Sirohi Zila Parishad.
The BJP was also single largest party in Bharatpur Zila Parishad but fell short of a clear majority.
Independents and BSP members will play a crucial role in the formation of the zila parishad board in Bharatpur.
The Congress victories in Jaipur and Jodhpur are being seen as particularly impressive as the BJP was holding both of these earlier. With Congress securing a clear majority in both, most see the results as a major jolt to the opposition BJP.
Rajasthan Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra was quick to describe the results as very encouraging for his party and a big setback for the BJP.
“The Congress party has won the elections with an overwhelming majority. Out of 1,562 wards of panchayat samiti, 670 Congress candidates were victorious. In Bharatpur too, 171 candidates of Congress ideology who contested the election without party symbol were the winners,” he said.
He said the Congress would have its Pradhan in 60 of the 78 panchayat samiti where the elections were held and claimed the BJP could win a majority in only 14 panchayat samitis.
Dotasra said the results were a validation of the work done by the Congress government led by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. He said that the party would leave no stone unturned in the development of Rajasthan.
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also congratulated the winners and thanked voters for making the Congress party victorious in the elections.
“I express my gratitude to all the voters for getting the Congress victory in the panchayat samiti and Zila Parishad elections held in six districts. Many congratulations to all the winning candidates and Congress workers,” he tweeted.
CM Gehlot also claimed that the win in the Panchayat polls is a stamp of approval from the people of the state for the splendid manner in which the Rajasthan government managed to tackle the covid crisis.
Though the results are being seen as a setback for the BJP, the party’s state president Satish Poonia is hardly inclined to concede defeat. He took to Twitter to congratulate BJP candidates who won the elections. In a tweet, he thanked the people for supporting the BJP in the elections and the party workers for their hard work. “Hearty congratulations to the candidates who won the Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections,” he added.
All political observers are now focused on the election for Pramukh and Pradhan which will be held on September 6. Elections for up-Pramukh and up-Pradhan will be held on September 7.
