Congress wins most Zila Parishads, Panchayat Samitis in Rajasthan

Riding high on the deft handling of the Corona pandemic and multiple welfare schemes, the ruling Congress has clinched four of the six districts in the panchayat samitis and Zila Parishad’s elections in Rajasthan.

The Congress won 670 panchayat samitis seats, while the BJP facing infighting and power struggle within the party could win only 551 seats. Polling took place for electing 1564 members of the 78 panchayat samitis and 200 members of the Zila Parishads in six districts.

The Congress reversed the 2015 results, when the BJP was in power, by winning more seats in both panchayat samitis and in the Zila Parishad’s elections.

In the key Zila Parishad elections, the Congress won 99 seats, the BJP 90 and the independents won eight seats while the BSP could win only three seats.

“Many Congratulations to all the winning candidates and Congress workers. I express my gratitude to all the voters for making the Congress victorious in the panchayat samitis and Zila Parishad elections,” said Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.

Congress had a clear majority in four districts--Dausa, Jodhpur, Jaipur and Sawai Madhopur, while the BJP swept the Sirohi district. In Bharatpur district no party could get a majority in both panchayat samitis and the Zila Parishad elections.

Hanuman Beniwal’s Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP), which was an ally of the BJP in the last Lok Sabha election, bagged 40 samiti seats. Thus, the RLP which had quit the NDA on policy issues related to the farm bills, inflicted damage on the BJP.

The Independents won 200 samitis seats, while the BSP which was expected to perform better in the reserved seats could win only 11 samiti seats showing its dwindling following in the state.

In Jodhpur, the home turf of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot as well as that of BJP’s Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, the Congress did better by winning 16 of the 21 samitis. The voters in Jodhpur came out with a different verdict as compared to the Lok Sabha election when BJP’s Shekhawat had emerged winner defeating the Chief Minister Gehlot’s son Vaibhav Gehlot.

The post of Zila Pramukh in Jodhpur is reserved and either Leela Maderna or Munni Devi Godara would become the Zila Pramukh.

The result in Jodhpur augurs well for the Congress which is expected to repeat the performance in the six districts in the next Vidhan Sabha elections.

Jubilant after the success of the party, Pradesh Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra said that a majority of the victorious Independents have sent feelers to the Congress that they would support the party.

He said the Congress would be able to form its board in Bharatpur with the support of the Independents. The Congress has emerged as the largest single party here. He said the Congress has snatched victories in both Jaipur and Jodhpur from the BJP that ruled the panchayats and the Zila Parishads.

Dotasra said the mandate by the people was a vote for the people-friendly schemes of the government. He said Congress contested the elections through strong strategic planning and the hard work of the party’s cadre paid rich dividends.