Taking objections to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders’ claims of supporters winning the highest number of seats in the gram panchayat elections, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj H.K. Patil said the leaders should refrain from making baseless statements.
Speaking to presspersons here on Saturday, Mr. Patil said everyone knows that the Congress made headway in the gram panchayat polls. As per the media analysis, Congress supporters won 38,742 seats against 27,646 of BJP and 12,868 of JD(S).
The Congress supporters won in highest number owing to its pro-people programmes in the State, he said.
On leader of Opposition Jagadish Shettar’s call for a third-party analysis of the results, Mr. Patil asked what other best agency was there than the media.
Mr. Patil said 81.2 per cent voter turnout in GP elections was the highest ever voter turnout so far. The process of fixing reservations for posts of president and vice-president would be completed shortly, he said.
On a question about an official illegally depositing Rs. 134 crore in banks, Mr. Patil said the officer had been suspended and an inquiry being conducted.
Congress supporters won the GP polls owing to the party’s pro-people schemes
in the State
H.K. Patil,Minister
