Bharatpur: Rajasthan Congress put up a spectacular show by winning 36 posts of Chairmen in urban local bodies out of 50 posts. Significantly, BJP which was elevated after rural polls could manage to win 12 posts in these elections, giving Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot a big sigh of relief.
The party is heaping praises on Deeg-Kumher MLA Vishvendra Singh's political strategy and with this massive win, the rumours of Singh joining BJP has also been put to rest. Vishvendra Singh served as the former Rajasthan minister for tourism.
Party sources said that Singh's well-planned and political plan helped Congress emerged victorious and made Bharatpur 'BJP free'. The Congress was trying hard to make up for the loss in the Panchayat polls and win the maximum number of posts of Chairman and the party has passed the test.
After registering massive win, the Congress leader said, "BJP has suffered a setback in the urban local bodies' elections. In Bharatpur, Congress leaders have registered victory on all seats and BJP failed to put up a good show. There is no representative of BJP in Bharatpur and people's vote for Congress shows their faith in the party and its work. Congress has fulfilled its promises in the manifesto.
He thanked the people of Deeg-Kumher and the party workers for party's impressive perfomance in the municipal elections.
After the results were announced Ashok Gehlot said, "The win of Congress in 36 and two independents is good and congratulations to those who have won".
READ: BJP outshines Congress in local polls in Rajasthan
Singh was a part of the 18 dissident Congress leaders, who had backed sacked deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot in his bitter power struggle against CM Ashok Gehlot.
Pilot too wants his supporters to be adjusted in the government as many ministers loyal to him were sacked after his rebellion including Ramesh Meena and Vishvendra Pratap Singh. Pilot along with his supporters is lying low for the moment but there is always the danger of his striking back with Gehlot mostly confined to the CM's residence due to Covid, said sources.
Deputy chairpersons in 11 out of the 50 urban local bodies that went to polls recently were elected unopposed. Congress leader Vinod Kumar and Niranjan Lal Taksaliya were elected unopposed from Byana and Deeg towns respectively.
The election for the post of deputy chairperson was held in the rest 39 local bodies.
The deputy chairpersons were elected unopposed in Behror, Anta, Deeg, Kumher, Nagar, Weir, Bandikui, Bari, Virat Nagar, Kesrisinghpura and Karanpur municipalities, according to the spokesperson of the state election commission.
Congress candidates won from Bhusawar, Kaman, Kumher, Nadbai, Nagar, Vair by defeating BJP and independent candidates.
