Big boost for BJP:Saini stamps his presence as Congress bites the dust
BJP’s victory also coincides with chief minister Nayab Saini completing one year in office, when in March last year he replaced his political mentor and now a Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar for the post.
As the BJP secures victory on nine of 10 mayoral posts in municipal corporations, barring Manesar, the voters of Haryana have stamped on the saffron party’s poll plank of “triple engine ki sarkaar”.
Despite a low voter turnout, the ruling party was confident of winning the civic body elections, months after it defied all predictions to secure an unprecedented third consecutive term in the state assembly elections and started its groundwork soon after.
BJP’s victory also coincides with chief minister Nayab Saini completing one year in office, when in March last year he replaced his political mentor and now a Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar for the post.
Since then, Saini has worked over party’s image makeover, undertook several corrective measures of 10 years of BJP rule and ensured that party returns to power on its own.
The campaign, party leaders said, was focused on Saini’s approachable persona, 100 days of BJP’s third term and a promise to take welfare schemes and development works from top to bottom through “triple engine”.
Though the results have brought cheer to the BJP leaders on the eve of Holi festival, it has however once again put a question mark on the Congress that has been routed in all municipal corporations when it contested on party symbol, at one even out of top three.
In Manesar, for example, Congress’ Neeraj Yadav was pushed to fourth spot and independent nominee Inderjeet Yadav clinched victory.
The party even lost in Rohtak, the stronghold of former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.
In Faridabad where six candidates were in fray for mayor post, Congress nominee Lata Rani lost by a margin of 3.16 lakh votes against Praveen Joshi of the BJP.
Infact, the party failed to open its account in wards of Karnal municipal corporations and several of its official candidates lost security deposit.
Experts attribute this below average performance of the grand-old party to the absence of party’s senior leader from the field.
Political analyst Satish Tyagi said that the election appeared one-sided from day one in the favour of ruling party and Congress was completely absent.
“Senior leaders were not seen during campaign even when the party was contesting on symbol. The Congress nominees were left on their own. The morale of the workers was already low due and in the absence of leaders, the cadre was helpless. This was also visible in Rohtak. On the other side, BJP with a strong organisation led by its chief minister (Saini) and union minister (Khattar) worked day and night,” he added.