Big boost for BJP ahead of Delhi polls, party wins 17 Zila Parishads in Raj panchayat election

Jaipur, Feb 6: The ruling BJP has won 17 Zila Parishads and Congress 8 in the keenly-fought Rajasthan Panchayat Raj polls where counting of votes is still going on in some districts.

Out of the total 33 Zila Parishads in the state, results were announced for 25 where BJP won 17 and Congress bagged 8, a spokesman of the state Election Commission said.

Results are awaited in the remaining 8 Zila Parishads. BJP and Congress have won 483 and 314 seats of Zila Parishad ward members so far while 9 independent, 7 CPI (M) and 3 BSP candidates have also won as ward members.

Out of the total seats of 1,014 ward members, results have been announced for 816 seats. The BJP has won Ajmer, Baran, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Churu, Dholpur, Sriganganagar, Jaipur, Jhalawar, Jodhpur, Pali, Pratapgarh, Rajsamand, Sikar, Sirohi, Tonk and Dungarpur Zila Parishads.

Congress secured Banswara, Bikaner, Bundi, Dausa, Jaisalmer, Karauli, Kota and Sawaimadhopur Zila Parishad. Similarly, BJP won 2,962 seats of Panchayat Samiti member while Congress secured 2,492. Out of total 6,236 seats, results have been announced for 6,065 seats.

Counting of votes began yesterday. BJP had won all the 25 Lok Sabha seats in May last year but it lost three out of four Assembly constituencies in bypolls in September and could secure only one.

However, in civic bodies' polls, BJP had an edge over the Opposition Congress by securing four municipal corporations and scores of municipal bodies late last year.

PTI