Counting over,BJP and Cong continue to claim lion’s share

The PRI elections were not held on party symbols,unlike the urban local body polls in which the Congress had given a tough fight to the BJP. In the absence of clear party lines drawn in the PRI polls,both parties are staking claim over winners,terming them as primary members.

Transport and Urban Development Minister Mahender Singh spoke to the media and gave a break-up of the seats won by candidates supported by the BJP in zila parishad elections,the counting for which had been on since January 4 morning. “At least 74 per cent of our candidates have won in the 3,183 panchayats. We have captured important posts in 2,357 panchayats. The highest share of 79.9 percent and 79.58 per cent,respectively,is in Kullu and Una districts and the lowest of 67.53 per cent and 67.76 per cent is in Sirmour and Shimla districts,respectively,” said Singh.

Barring Shimla,the BJP claimed to have outdone the Congress in all districts. In BDC elections,the BJP also admitted to have faced a drubbing in Baijnath and Nurpur blocks of Kangra district,Gohar block in Mandi,Arki in Solan and Salooni,Mehla and Bharmour in Chamba district.

On the contrary,Congress president Kaul Singh Thakur said the candidates supported by his party had won approximately 70 per cent seats and the BJP was exerting pressure and influence on them by misusing government machinery to win them over.

In Shimla Zila Parishad,at least 17 of the 24 members are either Congress supported candidates or independents,while only seven are reportedly associated with the BJP. In Una,Bilaspur,Kangra and Chamba,the number of Congress-supported winners is quite large.