In a clear indication of growing disenchantment from both the ruling BJP and Opposition Congress, the voters in Bharatpur district have chosen a large number of Independents in the municipal elections.
The results for elections in eight municipalities, for which polling had taken place on Friday, came out on Monday. Out of 190 wards, Independents won in 120, the BJP in 59 wards while the Congress barely managed to get into double figures with 11 wards.
The BJP is hopeful of forming a board in Bayana and Deeg although it is short of majority in both. It is short of three seats in Bayana and one in Deeg to form the board, although it is confident, saying that the Independents who won in these two municipalities are its own members. It has also started getting the support of Independents in the remaining six municipalities to form the board.
The results have been shocking for the BJP, which celebrated the second anniversary of its government in the state, boasting its achievements and claiming that it has got Rajasthan out of “Bimaru” status.
After losing three out of four seats in the Assembly bypolls, including Weir in Bharatpur district, the BJP had also witnessed a drop in its vote share in the local body elections as the Congress improved its performance. Clearly, it is a wake-up call for the ruling party, which is being seen as more interested in pointing out faults and blaming the Congress for every problem rather than concentrating on governance.
In a recent survey by a local daily in the BJP-ruled states of Rajasthan, MP and Chhattisgarh, only 39 per cent of the people were satisfied with the Raje government’s performance compared to 58 per cent for MP CM Shivraj Chouhan and 52 per cent for Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh.
However, the Congress it seems knew its fate as it fought in just 68 wards out of 190. It shows just lack of confidence in the main opposition party ridden by factionalism. On the second anniversary of the BJP government, it’s senior leaders PCC president Sachin Pilot, Leader of opposition in state assembly Rameshwar Dudi and former chief minister Ashok Gehlot issued separate statements rather than holding a joint press conference.
In fact, in the same survey only 34 per cent people didn’t like its performance as an effective opposition. If the party hopes that people will vote it po power once again just because they are unhappy with the BJP government, this result belies that hope.
