Bhopal: The Ruling BJP in Chhattisgarh won polls to two rural local bodies, putting at rest all speculations that demonetisation move would hit its prospects in the elections.
The party candidates won mayor posts of both Bhilai-Charoda Municipal Corporation and Sarangarh Municipality by defeating their nearest Congress rivals in the bodies. The party also grabbed majority of wards in both the rural local bodies in the elections which were held on December 27.
“BJP’s victory in two rural local body polls is an endorsement by people to demonetisation decision by Prime Minister Narendra Modi”, Chhattisgarh BJP chief Dharamlal Kaushik said.
The Opposition Congress had made demonetisation as its poll plank in the elections to cash in on the apparent brewing anger among the electorates in the wake of demonetisation move by the Centre.
Meanwhile, BJP president Amit Shah on Friday claimed that the party’s win in local body polls in several states, including Chhattisgarh and Gujarat, was people’s “stamp of approval” on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s demonetisation decision.
“People of the country have put their stamp of approval on the demonetisation decision taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8. It is clear with results in local elections in states like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Chandigarh and now Chhattisgarh and Gujarat again that people are with Modi in this fight against black money and corruption while the opposition is only doing politics,” Mr Shah said in a statement.
It also credited its president Amit Shah’s organisation skills, its chief ministers and state organisations for its “big win”.
In Gujarat local body elections which concluded on December 27, BJP-supported candidates won 7363 seats out of 10212 “Gram Panchayats” while those supported by Congress could win only 2395, he said.
In polls held across different parts of the country, including its remote rural corners, people have expressed their views clearly to the opposition and shown faith in “Modi’s vision” and the BJP’s “politics of performance”.
This is five straight win of BJP in local polls after demonetisation, he said.
