New Delhi:
In a nail-biting contest in the Municipal Corporation elections in Rajasthan's Jaisalmer, the BJP won 20 wards while Congress has bagged 21. However, none of the parties got majority. The counting for the polls which took place on November 16th for 45 wards started at 8 AM on Tuesday under tight security. The independent candidates, who got 4 seats, will be key players in Jaisalmer Municipal Corporation. Previously, the BJP was having majority in Jaisalmer civic bodies.
The polling was conducted to elect more than 2,000 ward councillors in 49 municipal bodies in Rajasthan. The main contest is between Congress and main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and both parties have claimed that they will win the election and get enough seats to have their candidate as the new chairman. Election for chairman and deputy chairman of urban local bodies will be held on November 26 and 27, respectively. In 2014, BJP had won victory in 37 municipal bodies out of 43. The Congress on the other hand had managed to win only six municipal bodies.
However, in Barmer municipal elections, Congress won 32 wards, BJP takes 18 while independents got 5 seats. Out of the 5 independents two are supported by Congress. In Sikar municipal elections, Congress is set to win with victory in 37 wards, while BJP has taken 18 wards. Independents have won 9 wards with one ward going to CPM's tally.
As per the Election Commission, 72 per cent voters exercised their franchise in the elections, with a maximum of 91.67 per cent turnout in Nasirabad municipality of Ajmer district. The overall voting percentage was 71.53 per cent. Udaipur Municipal Corporation recorded the lowest turnout at 53 per cent, the state election commission had said.
