THE BJP on Wednesday won 25 of the 43 posts of presidents of urban bodies, while the Congress improved its tally to 15. In the first electoral test after the farmers’ unrest in June, Independent candidates also won as presidents in three urban bodies. About eight lakh voters exercised their franchise on August 11 for the election of presidents in Nagar Palikas and Nagar Parishads, besides bypolls in these bodies.
This came a day before BJP president Amit Shah is scheduled to visit Bhopal to begin a three-day exercise from Friday to strengthen the party organisation.
The Congress said BJP had no reason to celebrate because it had lost three posts of presidents, while it had improved its tally from nine to 15. The opposition party said its candidates lost narrowly in four places by margins ranging between 50 and 200 and that it had emerged victorious in larger bodies.
However, the ruling BJP claimed it was a resounding victory and that it had not lost ground despite the recent unrest in several parts of the state. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan,who had campaigned extensively, credited the victory to development.
Describing the outcome as satisfactory, state Congress chief Arun Yadav said the results proved that people have voted for change and that the party significantly improved its tally despite the CM’s whirlwind campaign and “misuse” of official machinery by the ruling party.
