The ruling Congress on Wednesday won eight seats in the by-elections to 17 wards of 15 urban local bodies held in a total of 11 districts of Rajasthan on June 10. While independent candidates supported by the Congress won two seats, the BJP registered victory in five wards.
By-elections were held to fill the vacant positions in certain wards of municipalities and municipal councils in Jaipur, Alwar, Bhilwara, Sri Ganganagar, Bharatpur, Churu, Karauli, Hanumangarh, Bundi, Dholpur and Sirohi districts. A total of 14 municipality and three municipal council wards were contested in these districts.
The Congress candidates won in Behror, Khairthal, Jahazpur, Indragarh, Sujangarh, Nohar, Shahpura and Hindon local bodies, while candidates supported by the party won at Gajsinghpur and Rawatsar.
Rajasthan Congress president and Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot said the bypoll results were an indication of people’s faith in the State government’s welfare policies launched after the December 2018 Assembly elections. However, the Congress lost all the 25 seats in the State to the BJP in the recent Lok Sabha election.
We won more seats: BJP
BJP spokesperson Satish Punia said the number of seats won by the party had increased as the BJP earlier held only three of the 17 wards where by-elections were held. He alleged that the Congress government had “misused the resources” to win the bypolls after its failure on the law and order, agricultural loan waiver and water and power supply fronts.
