DEHRADUN: Following the conclusion of the three-tier Panchayat elections in Uttarakhand, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has successfully re-established its dominance, as a significant number of independent candidates have gravitated towards the party.
According to information from the State Election Commission, out of a total of 358 District Panchayat seats across various districts, BJP-backed candidates have so far been declared victorious on 125 seats. Congress-backed candidates secured 83 seats, while a substantial 150 independent candidates also emerged successful in the elections.
Sources close to TNIE across various districts indicate that a majority of the victorious independent candidates have shown a clear inclination towards the Bharatiya Janata Party, with many even publicly declaring their support for the saffron party. This effectively means a substantial number of the total successful candidates are now considered BJP supporters, significantly bolstering the party's overall tally.
BJP State President and Rajya Sabha MP Mahendra Bhatt hailed the results, stating, "The current victory is not only encouraging but also historic. In 2019, the BJP secured 200 seats, which included Haridwar. Now, excluding Haridwar, the BJP has won 216 seats. If we add Haridwar's 44 seats, this figure reaches 260, making it an unprecedented historic victory for CM Pushkar Singh Dhami's government in the Panchayats."
Bhatt further elaborated on the party's strategy, saying, "The BJP fielded candidates with a well-planned strategy and by respecting the party workers. On several seats where consensus could not be reached, the party left the seat vacant, and a large number of BJP workers emerged victorious as independents on those very seats."
BJP State Spokesperson Honey Pathak, speaking to TNIE, remarked, "The increasing public support for the BJP has led to a proportional rise in the number of ambitious individuals within the party."
"It is a different matter that 150 victorious candidates were independents, but 80 per cent of those independents have, after the election, given their full support back to their original party, the BJP," Pathak asserted. "We currently wish to maintain this confidentiality district-wise."
She concluded, "For the past 10 years, the state's public has rejected the Congress, and now the rural populace has completely disavowed them. Congress should respect the mandate."