After Maha Gram Panchayat polls, BJP claims growing acceptance among people

New Delhi: With the result of the first phase of Gram Panchayat elections in Maharashtra, BJP claimed its growing acceptance among people across the nation. Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Prakash Javdekar said on Tuesday that the choice of poor, farmers, labourers and even the backward class people of the state is only Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also congratulated Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for emerging as the number one party in the elections.

Meanwhile, the local BJP leadership claimed that the saffron party has emerged as the number one party in the 3,131 Gram Panchayats over 16 districts in Marathwada, Vidarbha and North Maharashtra regions- which went for polls.

On the other hand, the State Election Commission officials also claimed that Gram Panchayat polls are never fought on a party's symbol. The SEC only mentioned the voting percentage in its official releases.

The party claims that BJP nominees were elected as sarpanch in 1,457 of the 2,974 Gram Panchayats whose results were declared on Monday, whereas, Congress won (301), Shiv Sena (222) and NCP (194). The remaining sarpanch posts went to Independents and other outfits.

It is the first Gram Panchayat polls held for the sarpanch post were held directly.

Interestingly, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had also pushed this as a direct election process just like Municipal Council Chairman Elections. However, the nominees did not contest on party symbols. Legally, they were all independent candidates even though the political parties claimed alliance with them.

The second phase of the Gram Panchayat elections would take place in 18 districts of Maharashtra on October, 14 and the counting will take place on October, 16.