Jaipur: BJP has bagged majority in 23 of the 33 Zila Parishads in Rajasthan as Congress managed nine in the keenly fought Panchayati Raj polls. However, the ruling party lost two Zila Parishads and formed its board in 21 of them while Congress formed its board in 12, in the Zila Pramukh elections held on Saturday.
Apart from the nine Zila Parishads, Congress managed to put up its Pramukhs in Jhunjhunu, Alwar and Nagaur in the Zila Pramukh election by ward members. In Jhunjhunu, both the parties had won equal number of ward member seats while one seat was secured by an independent candidate. Congress won 22 out of 47 ward member seats in Nagaur but the party’s candidate for Zila Pramukh, which is elected by the Ward members, got 26 votes, paving way for a Congress board in the district.
The party also managed to make its Zila Pramukh in Alwar, where BJP was in majority.
Apart from these three, Congress Zila Pramukhs are in Banswara, Barmer, Bikaner, Bundi, Dausa, Jaisalmer, Karauli, Kota, and Sawaimadhopur Zila Parishads. BJP formed its boards in Ajmer, Baran, Bharatpur, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Churu, Dholpur, Dungarpur, Hanumangarh, Jaipur, Jalore, Jhalawar, Jodhpur, Pali, Pratapgarh, Rajsamand, Sikar, Sirohi, Tonk, Jodhpur and Udaipur Zila Parishads. Both BJP and Congress have expressed satisfaction over the results.
BJP state president Ashok Parnami said the party has for the first time won so many seats in panchayat elections. “As compared to vote share in earlier Panchayat elections, the vote share of BJP has increased this time which shows that BJP has now become a main party in rural areas of the state also,” Parnami told reporters. (PTI)
