Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan
The BJP, on Wednesday won 25 out of the 43 posts of presidents of urban bodies while the Congress improved its tally to 15. Independent candidates won three posts of presidents. The votes for elections in these bodies were cast on August 11.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan,who had campaigned extensively, credited the victory to development. The ruling party claimed that the results were on expected lines and that the recent farmers’ unrest had no impact.
Describing the outcome as satisfactory, Congress chief Arun Yadav said the results proved that people have voted for change. The Opposition leader said the Congress had nearly doubled its tally of presidents in these bodies. The BJP won presidents’ elections in Congress strongholds of Kailaras and Dabra.
The BJP lost three seats of councilors in the by-elections held in two Nagar Parishads in Mandsaur district, the epicenter of violence in June. The party, however, described the by-elections for councilors’ posts in Shyamgadh and Garoth Nagar Parishads in Mandsaur district as insignificant.
