HimVani
Shimla (Jan 3): The state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday claimed that people in urban areas of the hill state have endorsed the polices of incumbent Dhumal government and have voted decisively in favour of the party.
State Irrigation and Public Health Minister Ravinder Ravi in a press conference here said that the party has won 20 seats and had supported 7 independent candidates out of a total of 48 urban bodies. The party has also claimed a landslide victory in the first tier of gram panchayat results and said it is heading for a clear victory in the other two tiers of panchayat samitis and zila parishad elections, for which the results are awaited.
Ravi said the party has won around 56 per cent of clear mandate and a total strength of 210 members in urban bodies against 155 of the Congress. The 22 independents out of 33 have also registered their faith in the government, he added.
After refusing to call it a setback to the ruling BJP, he said even the BJP had won many bye-elections during the last regime of Congress. “The Congress, which is making counter claims, has failed to win even a single seat in Manali, Gagret, Theog and Naina Devi municipalities,” he said.
