Congress sweeps the poll in Hoshiarpur district

Our Correspondent
Hoshiarpur, February 17

In Hoshiarpur city, Congress set a record by winning 41 out of the 50 wards in the Municipal Corporation elections. After holding the fort for 15 consecutive years, the BJP had ruled the civic body twice but they suffered a crushing defeat this time.

In this election, the Bharatiya Janata Party was reduced to only four seats. The Shiromani Akali Dal could not even open its account. Contesting for the first time on its symbol, the Aam Aadmi Party won two seats. Three Independents also won the election.

Prominent among the winning Independent candidates remained Pandit Brahm Shankar Jimpa. He was the vice-chairman of the Punjab State Industrial Development Corporation and had resigned from his post and party after being denied a Congress ticket and then contested as an Independent. This time, he won his fourth consecutive term since being elected as a councillor for the first time in 2003. However, Rakesh Sood, senior BJP leader and former Cabinet minister Tikshan Sood’s wife, had to taste defeat from Ward Number 5.

The election results of 15 wards of Mukerian municipal council were declared after counting at SPN College, of which Congress won from 11 wards, BJP from three and Akali Dal from one ward.

In Dasuya nagar council, too, the Congress won 11 of the 15 wards, while the Aam Aadmi Party won four seats. SAD and BJP, however, couldn’t open their account.

In Tanda Urmar, Congress won 12 of 15 seats, SAD two and an Independent won from one ward. In Garhdiwala, 10 of 11 seats went to the Congress, while one went to an Independent candidate.

In Hariana, Congress won 7 of 11 seats, while SAD won from one and Independents from three seats.

In Garhshankar, Independents did a big reversal by winning 10 of the 13 seats and three seats went to the Congress, while no other party could open the account.

The Congress won only four seats of nine in Shamchaurasi in a fierce contest and SAD got three seats, while Independents held the key with two seats.

In the Mahilpur nagar panchayat by-election, the Congress won one of the two seats, while the other was won by an Independent.

The result for the by-election of Ward Number 1 of Talwara nagar panchayat were declared by election officer Ram Prakash at the Shah Canal office. Congress Party candidate Surinder Kaur won the election by securing 216 votes, while BJP candidate Pooja Pathania polled 171 votes. Rajni Kumari contesting as the only Independent in Talwara nagar panchayat, polled 156 votes.