Setback for top leaders in Himachal Zila Parishad poll

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 23

Both BJP and Congress are making claims and counter claims of victory in the Zila Parishad elections, but one thing is clear that some senior leaders, including Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Mukesh Agnihotri, have suffered a setback on their home turfs.

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The results of 239 zila parishad wards are still pouring in as the counting is continuing, but it is evident that in many places top leaders of the BJP and the Congress have suffered a setback. In the Seraj Assembly constituency of the Chief Minister, the BJP could win two of the four wards, while an Independent candidate and a CPM nominee won one ward each.

The results declared so far indicate that the Congress has done better in old Himachal, which includes Shimla and Sirmaur, while the BJP has performed better in lower Himachal such as Una. In Kangra, which has 53 ZP wards, the BJP has bagged 24 and the Congress 20.

Similarly, in the Pachaad Assembly segment of Sirmaur — the home turf of BJP president Suresh Kashyap — the party won only one of the four ZP wards. The Congress won two wards while a BJP rebel wrested one ward. In a major jolt to Kashyap, the BJP candidate in Bag Pashog ward of Pachaad came third.

The situation in the Congress seems no different. In Haroli of Una, home turf of CLP leader Mukesh Agnihotri, the BJP bagged three of the four ZP wards, while the Congress won only one. Some of the BJP ministers, including Sarveen Chaudhary, Rajeev Saizal, and Virender Kanwar, too, suffered a setback. The performance of the BJP was impressive in Dharampur in Mandi, which is represented by IPH Minister Mahender Singh and Jaswan in Kangra represented by Industry Minister Bikram Singh.

State BJP president Suresh Kashyap claimed victory in 156 of the 239 ZP wards and in 1,218 (74 per cent) panchayat samitis.

Cong performance better in old Himachal

• The results declared so far indicate that the Congress has done better in old Himachal, which includes Shimla and Sirmaur, while the BJP has performed better in lower Himachal areas such as Una.
• In the Seraj Assembly constituency of the Chief Minister, the BJP could win two of the four wards.
• In a major jolt to Suresh Kashyap, the BJP candidate in Bag Pashog ward of Pachaad came third.
• In Haroli of Una, home turf of CLP leader Mukesh Agnihotri, the BJP bagged three of the four ZP wards, while the Congress won only one.

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