JAIPUR: Congress took a lead over the BJP in terms of the number of wards won in the municipal elections held in 20 districts when the results were declared on Sunday. But the BJP retained the Ajmer Municipal Corporation with a big margin. The ruling party would, however, have to depend on independent candidates to form governing boards in many of the 90 municipal bodies for which elections were held on January 28.
Elections could not be held in one of the 3,035 wards in the 90 urban bodies due to the demise of a Congress candidate in Bhilwara’s Gulabpura Nagar Palika. Of the 3,034 wards for which results were announced, the Congress won 1,197 and the BJP got 1,140.
The ruling party got a clear majority in 19 municipal bodies compared to BJP’s clear majority in 24 bodies, but senior Congress leaders claimed their party would form governing boards in over 50 of the 90 municipal bodies with the support of Independents and smaller parties. Independents stand in clear majority in nine urban bodies and will be a deciding factor in 37 bodies. Voting for electing chairpersons and governing boards would be held on February 7.
Even as the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) was seen as the third big political force in the state after Congress and BJP because of its performances in the last assembly and general elections, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) sprung a surprise by surging past RLP and getting majority in two municipal bodies — Newai Nagar Palika in Tonk district and Nokha Nagar Palika in Bikaner district.
The contest to form the governing body would be interesting in Nagaur’s Mundwa Nagar Palika where Congress and RLP have won 11 wards each, while BJP has pocketed two wards and the remaining one has gone to an independent. RLP broke ties with BJP recently over the stir on the three Union farm laws.
Cong ahead in BJP bastions: Maken
Chief minister Ashok Gehlot tweeted, “The vote percentage and the number of winning candidates, both are higher (than the BJP) for the Congress. In most places, the Congress will form the governing boards.”
AICC general secretary in-charge Ajay Maken tweeted, “Congress is ahead in 48 of the 90 bodies that were considered BJP bastions. Independents have come in support of Congress in four cities. Possibility of (Congress) forming boards in 52 municipal bodies.”
In terms of total number of municipal wards won, Congress finished third after BJP and independents in Tonk district, the political turf of former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot. Of the five municipal bodies that went to polls in the district, BJP got majority in two, while NCP and Independents are in majority in one each. In the fifth body, Congress and independents have a tie by winning 10 wards each. The ruling party might turn the tables on BJP in Tonk district by winning the support of NCP and independents in three of the five municipal bodies to form the governing boards.
Of the seven ministers in whose assembly segments the municipal elections were held, the Congress emerged victorious in constituencies of just two — health minister Raghu Sharma and sports minister Ashok Chandana. Congress got a clear majority in Kekri and Sarwar Nagar Palika, both of which fall in Sharma’s constituency. Similarly, the ruling party has a clear majority in Nainwa Nagar Palika, which comes under Chandana’s constituency.
In Sikar’s Lakshmangarh Nagar Palika, which was the centre of attraction for being PCC chief and education minister Govind Singh Dotasra’s constituency, the Congress and the BJP finished in a tie by winning 14 wards each. The 11 independents and one CPM ward member would now play the key role in forming the governing board there.
Similarly, Congress would have to rely on independents and other parties to form governing boards in municipal bodies falling in constituencies of higher education minister Bhanwar Singh Bhati, minorities affairs minister Saleh Mohammad, forest minister Sukhram Vishnoi and deputy chief whip Mahendra Chaudhary.
Of the five municipal bodies in the four constituencies where bypolls are due, Congress and BJP captured one each while independents got majority in three. Rajsamand went to Congress, Sahada to BJP, Bhinder in Udaipur and Sujangarh and Bidasar in Churu voted for independents.