Assam municipal elections: BJP wins 73 of 80 civic bodies; Congress faces rout

Guwahati, Mar 9: The BJP has emerged victorious in the Assam municipal elections by winning 73 civic bodies out of 80, as per poll results declared by the Assam State Election Commission (ASEC) on Wednesday.

Principal opposition Congress has miserably failed as it failed to win a single civic body by the time this story went for publishing. The result of one civic body is yet to come. Interestingly, in Mariani Municipal Board, Independent candidates won seven of the 10 wards while the remaining three were bagged by the BJP. The poll results also gave five hung municipal boards, the ASEC said.

As per the election commission, the saffron party pocked 672 wards while the grand old party won 71. Others have emerged victorious in 149 wards. Altogether 57 wards were won uncontested.

Responding to the massive victory, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the massive mandate is for growth and development, and will inspire the party to pursue the agenda of progress with renewed vigour.

"I congratulate all @BJP4Assam karyakartas & leaders who worked tirelessly spreading the development ideals of Adarniya PM Shri @narendramodi ji. "I bow my head in gratitude to the people of Assam for the thumping victory of candidates from @BJP4Assam & its allies in the municipal elections," he said in a series of tweets.

On the humiliating defeat faced by the Congress, the state chief Bhupen Kumar Borah said that rise and fall in politics are a continuous process and every party passes through both good and bad times. "We have to work hard for good times and have to wait patiently for the opportunity. I accept the responsibility of the municipal board results," he said in a tweet.

In the polls held for 80 municipal boards on March 6, an estimated 70 per cent voter turnout was registered. PTI