Poor show by BJP in Haryana's zila parishad polls; AAP wins 14 seats

In an embarrassment for the ruling BJP government in Haryana, it faced a defeat as it won only 22 out of the 102 seats of zila parishad it contested in seven districts.

In the polls to the 143 panchayat samities and 22 zila parishads, AAP won 14 zila parishad seats on its symbol while five other candidates it supported registered win.

In a jolt in Panchkula, the BJP lost all 10 seats of zila parishads, while in Sirsa it lost on 10 of the 24 seats it had contested.

The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), which contested 72 seats of zila parishads, won over 14 seats, while the main Opposition Congress and BJP's ally, Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), did not contest the polls on the party symbol.

Many Independent candidates registered victories. However, political parties claimed that the candidates who were backed by them.

The INLD's Ellenabad legislator Abhay Chautala's son Karan Chautala won from the ward number 6 of zila parishad in Sirsa by over 600 votes.

Among prominent losers was Kurukshetra BJP MP Nayab Singh Saini's wife who was defeated by an Independent from ward number 4 of zila parishad in Ambala.

In Ambala, the home district of Cabinet minister Anil Vij, the BJP could win only two out of 15 seats it contested. In Vij's constituency, Ambala Cantonment, the sole seat went to AAP.

BJP's chief spokesperson Sanjay Sharma claimed 151 BJP-backed candidates in 15 districts had emerged winner. He said out of 411 members in 22 zila parishads, the BJP has the backing of over 300 elected candidates.

Political observers say BJP's drubbing in the panchayat polls is warning for the Manohar Lal Khattar-led government ahead of the Assembly elections slated in 2024.

Haryana BJP president O.P. Dhankar tweeted: "Many candidates who have contested on party symbol or were supported by the BJP have registered win the panchayat elections, many congratulations to them."

On November 22, the elections of all 143 Panchayat Samitis and 22 Zilla Parishads of all three phases of the state was completed, while on November 25 the elections of panchs and sarpanchs of all gram panchayats were completed.

--IANS

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