SAD drew blank in Talwara block samiti
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) might have won 16 of the 24 zila parishads seats in the district, but it failed to open its account in Talwara panchayat samiti, where all its four candidates were defeated.
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) might have won 16 of the 24 zila parishads seats in the district, but it failed to open its account in Talwara panchayat samiti, where all its four candidates were defeated.
The Congress won 10 of the 15 seats. The People's Party of Punjab fared better than the SAD by winning two seats and three seats went to the BJP.
There have been other surprises too. BJP lost in its old bastion Mukerian and won in Jahan Khelan, Nangal Bihala and Binewal ZP zones. The party, however, retained its lead over other parties in the block samiti election in this zone.
Congress did mark its presence in the Dasuya Mukerian belt by winning in Sansarpur, Bhangala, Hajipur and Talwara. In the 10 block samitis, it gave a reasonable fight to the ruling alliance.
If the Congress is crying hoarse over 'bungling', its allegations are not entirely unfounded. In Hajipur and Chohal block samitis, where the BJP had put up its candidates, ballot papers with the 'scale' symbol were recovered from vote boxes.
Opposition parties sought an explanation from the polling officials concerned, to no avail.
At a number of places, candidates of the ruling alliance, who were trailing all along, were suddenly declared winners.
The Congress candidate in Harta block was declared victorious on Tuesday evening, but on Wednesday, the result was declared in favour of SAD, and no explanation was offered. The woman candidate was livid at the officials
The parties are busy counting their scores, but the calculations are vague as in different constituencies, varied electoral alliances were made. Congress had allied with the BSP in Garhshankar and Chabbewal assembly segments, where BSP candidates contested as independents with Congress support. At certain places, SAD and BJP fielded candidates on each other's symbols. The woman BJP candidate who has won from Binewal ZP zone comes from an Akali family and the SAD is counting the seat as its own.