Congress defeats BJP in five seats in MP urban bodies elections

BHOPAL: In a major setback for the BJP, the Congress on Saturday registered victory on five out of eight urban bodies seats where elections were held on December 22. After Ratlam Lok Sabha bypolls last month, this is yet another victory for the Congress party which has been out of power in the state since December 2003. Victories in Ratlam, followed by the Shajapur and four other municipal councils, is being perceived as a comeback for the Congress in the state.
While the BJP on Saturday retained Mandsaur and Sehore Municipal Corporations, it lost Shajapur. Elections were also held for five municipal councils in the semi-urban areas and small towns of Dhamnod, Orchha, Majhauli, Bheraghat and Shahgunj. BJP retained Shahgunj in Sehore district mainly because it is part of chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's home district. The Congress wrested all other four municipal councils.
An elated Congress party on Saturday evening called a press conference "to happily accept and acknowledge people's verdict". Speaking to reporters, Madhya Pradesh Congress chief spokesman KK Mishra said, "What started from Bihar assembly elections was carried over to the Ratlam Lok Sabha bypoll and now the civic polls in the state. People have voted against the BJP and in favour of the Congress party. We take it as an indication that people tired of false promises and histrionics has believed in the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Saturday’s victory is attributed to the hardwork of Congress workers and the electoral strategy of state Congress president Arun Yadav."
The BJP, however, was not completely vanquished. State BJP president Nandkumar Singh Chouhan argued that out of the 179 wards where elections were held, the party in power won 93 seats. Only 60 went to the Congress. "The BJP has always respected people's verdict. We thank voters for the peaceful elections of December 22 and the party will continue to work and serve the people of the state," Chouhan said.
But there are concerns in the party which hadn't seen electoral defeats for more than 10 years before Ratlam bypolls. The BJP lost despite chief minister Chouhan canvassing and leading road-shows before polls. The party, however, seems to be still having a strong-hold in major cities and towns, the reason why it won Ratlam city seat during Lok Sabha bypoll last month and retained Sehore and Mandsaur on Saturday.
BJP candidate for Sehore Municipal Corporation mayor Amita Jaiswal won by a margin of 10,161 votes over her nearest rival from Congress Reena Yadav. In Shahjapur Municipal Corporation, Congress' Sheetal Bhatt won the mayoral elections against Sangeeta Bhandawad by a margin of 2822 votes. BJP's Prahlad Bandhwar won against the Congress' Soumil Nahata in the mayoral poll for Mandsaur Municipal Corporation.
BJP lost Orchha Municipal Council chairman seat by skin of the teeth 96 votes as Congress' Rajkumari Balram Singh polled 2965 votes in her favour. The ruling party lost Majhauli in Jabalpur district by 472 votes, Bheraghat by 604 votes and Dhamnod by 565 votes. It is obvious that BJP's popularity is sliding in rural and semi-urban areas. The only municipal council where BJp will have its chairman is Shahgunj where the party candidate Gannulal gaur won by 1,793 votes.