Madhya Pradesh local bodies polls loss a tight slap for Congress: BJP

New Delhi

Riding high on its big victory in Madhya Pradesh local bodies elections against the Congress’s high-pitch campaign over Vyapam scam, BJP said the mandate was a “tight slap” on the opposition’s face and showed that its charges were “fabricated”.

The party also underlined the “historic” rout of Congress in various local bodies to claim that its campaign in Parliament against BJP and state Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan went against it and people expressed their disapproval by voting against it.

BJP vice president Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, who is also in charge of the state, and Madhya Pradesh BJP president Nand Kumar Singh Chauhan told a press conference that the “taint” Congress tried to throw at Chouhan has been cleaned by people.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu took to Twitter to hit out at Congress saying it was a “slap” in its face for “mud slinging” against Chouhan.

“Happy about civic polls results in Madhya Pradesh. Big slap in the face of Congress for mud slinging against @ChouhanShivraj,” he said.

While the local bodies elections had been going on for many months, 10 Zila Parishads went to polls after the row over Vyapam scam erupted and BJP won 8 out of it while Congress was reduced to one from the six it held, Sahasrabuddhe said.

Chauhan said it was unprecedented for a national party to lose in all 16 Nagar Nigam polls and termed it a “historic rout” for Congress.

“The results show continuity of the mandate as the elections touched all parts of the state. It shows people’s faith in the Chouhan,” Sahasrabuddhe said, noting how the BJP government had been defying anti-incumbency for over a decade.

“The election results are a tight slap on the face of Congress. Congress created an artificial uproar in Parliament over Vyapam and tried to find its echo among the masses. Now masses have spoken and if Congress wants to listen to people, then their message is that they have completely rejected its campaign against BJP and Chief Minister,” Sahasrabuddhe said.

Naidu, who had been vehemently countering Congress’s charge on Vyapam in and outside Parliament, also congratulated Chouhan.

“Congrats Shivraj! You won 3 Assembly elections, swept Zila Panchayat elections twice and 75 percent of corporations and municipalities. And now, 8 of 10 civic bodies,” he said.

In a clear indication that Vyapam scam failed to dent BJP’s popularity in Madhya Pradesh, the party yesterday clinched eight out of 10 civic bodies, prompting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to thank voters.

The elections were held on August 12.

BJP registered victories in Morena, Ujjain, Harda, Chakghat in Rewa district, Bhainsdehi in Betul district, Kotar in Satna, Suwasara in Mandsaur and Vidisha municipal bodies.

A Congress and an Independent candidate were elected as president of municipalities in Sarangpur in Rajgarh district and Guhwara in Chhattarpur district respectively.

BJP had swept the civic polls held in the state earlier this year. Elections in the aforementioned 10 municipal bodies could not be held then due to various reasons.

PTI