Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Tuesday alleged that several of the party's candidates in the Rajasthan civic body polls were “forcibly defeated” during recounts by razor-thin margins due to irregularities involving the government machinery. She said the BSP would have recorded an even stronger performance in the polls had such interference not taken place.
In an X post, Mayawati extended congratulatory greetings to party workers on Tuesday after the BSP secured 19 councillor seats in the Rajasthan municipal elections.
"In the municipal elections held in Rajasthan, the BSP has also succeeded this time by getting its councillors elected to 19 seats, and many candidates were forcibly defeated in the recount by a margin of just a few votes due to irregularities in the government machinery; otherwise, the party could have achieved an even better result here. For this, the party has extended hearty congratulations and best wishes to all the small and big office-bearers and workers of the BSP," she said.
The remarks came after the Bharatiya Janata Party secured a resounding victory in the Rajasthan urban local body elections, winning the Jaipur Municipal Corporation board with 78 seats, while independent candidates have emerged as key players in several other civic bodies where no party has secured a clear majority.
Further, the BSP Chief commended party cadres for achieving improved local body election results in Punjab and several other states.
"Although before this, in local body elections held in Punjab and some other states of the country as well, the party has achieved better results than before, and they too are worthy of congratulations," she said.
She added, "It is hoped that in the upcoming assembly general elections there and in the Lok Sabha general elections in the country, all those people will surely bring even better results for their party."
Notably, out of the total votes polled across 309 civic bodies, the BJP secured 35.18 per cent (37,35,567 votes) compared to Congress's 34.24 per cent (36,35,952 votes), yielding a razor-thin winning margin of just 0.94 per cent (99,615 votes).
Meanwhile, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) obtained 0.28 per cent (30,179 votes).
(With inputs from ANI)