C'garh urban body polls: Cong leads with wins in 923 wards

The ruling Congress won 923 wards in 151 urban local bodies in Chhattisgarh, while the BJP managed to get 814 wards, a poll official said on Tuesday.

The polls were held on December 21 and results of 2,032 wards were declared on Tuesday, while counting was underway in the remaining 799 wards, the official said.

Of the 2032, the Congress won 923, the BJP 814, the Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J) of Ajit Jogi 17, while Independents were elected in 278 wards, the official said.

The polls were held in 10 municipal corporations, 38 municipal councils and 103 nagar panchayat.

"In six wards, corporators were elected unopposed, while three wards received no nominations. In two places, all nominations were withdrawn and in one place polls were postponed after the death of a candidate,", the official informed.

Following these developments, polling was held to elect corporators in 2831 wards, he added.

Of the 70 wards in Raipur Municipal Corporation, the BJP has so far won 23, the Congress 22 with Independents emerging winners in two wards.

As per the new rules, mayors and chairpersons of urban bodies will be elected by corporators and not directly by people.

"The results show the Congress has registered victory in more wards than the BJP, and we are comfortably leading in several others. Congress will have the maximum number of mayors and chairpersons in the state's urban bodies," said Chhattisgarh Congress spokesperson Shailesh Nitin Trivedi.

However, state BJP chief Vikram Usendi said results were an indication that the Bhupesh Baghel government had become unpopular in just one year.