BJP wins 417 out of 814 seats in Madhya Pradesh local body elections

The ruling BJP on Friday won 417 out of 814 seats in local body elections in Madhya Pradesh and claimed to have secured majority in 38 out of 46 local bodies. The elections were held on Tuesday.

The main opposition Congress won 250 seats, Independents 131, Aam Aadi Party seven, Gondwana Ganatantra Party (GGP) six and Bahujan Samaj Party three seats in the polls to 46 local bodies, an official said.

As many as 3,397 candidates were in the fray in the elections to 17 nagar palikas and 29 nagar parishads. Voter turnout of 72.60 per cent was recorded in the polls held across 18 districts.

At least 25 corporators were elected unopposed. Madhya Pradesh Congress president Kamal Nath congratulated Congress candidates on their performance and alleged that the BJP misused the official machinery to contest the elections.

Congress candidates were harassed by the administration at the BJP's behest, he alleged, adding that the results showed that "the truth can be harassed, but it can’t be defeated."

Claiming that a large number of Congress-supported candidates won the polls, Nath said the party will return to power in the state in the next 12 months (after Assembly polls) as people have supported it.

State BJP spokesperson Pankaj Chaturvedi said that out of 46 local bodies, the party secured a majority in 38.

"The BJP emerged victorious in all seats in Khurai and Garhakota local bodies in Sagar district, while the party's performance was also good in Chhindwara, Nath's bastion," he said.

"He (Nath) should tell why the Congress lost in his stronghold," Chaturvedi said. The BJP spokesperson also claimed that the party had won many seats in the tribal areas too.