AMN /
The Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party SP has emerged as the top gainer in the Uttar Pradesh panchayat elections with most of the candidates it has supported for seats in the zila panchayat elections, emerged victorious. Party has not contested panchayat elections on party symbols but it has supported candidates.
The result is seen as major morale-booster for the BSP which could not win even single seat in last year’s Lok Sabha polls.
The ruling Samajwadi Party which chosen not to officially announce the candidates it had endorsed, has also fared poorly with many relatives of senior party leaders and ministers failing to win their seats. And the BJP, which had supported candidates in zila panchayat and kshetra panchayat polls for the first time, has failed to make an impression.
The BSP had avoided contesting any by-elections for assembly and Lok Sabha seats after its defeat in the Lok Sabha polls and it entered the panchayat elections hesitantly.
In Varanasi’s Jayapur, the village adopted by Modi, BJP candidate Arun Singh was defeated by BSP’s Ramesh Tiwari. The SP claimed to have won 25 seats in Varanasi district while Congress won 2, BSP 3, BJP ally Apna Dal 4 and Independents 6. In the last elections, BJP had won 3 seats.
Polling was held for 3,112 posts of district panchayats and 77,576 membership post in block panchayats and counting was done at 819 block headquarters amid tight security. BJP, which had supported candidates in zila panchayat and kshetra panchayat polls for the first time, could not make a significant impact.
Asaduddin Owaisi’s All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen opened its account in Azamgarh by winning a seat in Maksudia. State Election Commission said that after holding the elections of the Kshetra and district panchayat members in four phases, it would now prepare for the crucial pradhan and village panchayat polls in four phases from November 27 to December 9 with counting of votes on December 12. Notification for the pradhan polls would be issued on November 7.