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'Sarkari shuttler': Saina Nehwal's congratulatory tweet on BJP win in UP local polls stirs row
Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath after the BJP's big show in zila panchayat chairpersons elections.
Badminton player Saina Nehwal has congratulated Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on the BJP's "thumping victory" in elections to the posts of the zila panchayat chairperson, prompting a sharp reaction from Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) president Jayant Chaudhary. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party won 67 of the 75 seats in the zila panchayat chairpersons’ polls on Saturday, after losing the zila panchayat ward members’ poll in April to the Samajwadi Party (SP). The BJP won 21 of these seats unopposed after many of the opposition candidates joined the ruling party and withdrew from the contest.
Only the SP and ally RLD could show some resistance. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) boycotted the elections, citing misuse of official machinery while the Congress lost the only seat it contested in the Lok Sabha bastion of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi in Rae Bareli.
"Hearty congratulations for thumping victory in Zila Panchayat Chairperson election in UP @myogiadityanath sir," Sania Nehwal tweeted on Saturday.
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Chaudhary tweeted over an hour later with a sharp comment. "Sarkaari shuttler recognises BJP skill in smashing peoples' verdict! I think voters need to play a subtle drop shot on celebs trying to influence their decisions!" Chaudhary posted on Twitter.
After the BJP's claim to have swept the zila panchayat chairperson elections the SP alleged that the ruling party "kidnapped" voters and used "force" to stop them from voting. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP of making a mockery of the elections, saying it is strange that while most results in the polls for the district panchayat members were in favour of his party, the BJP gained in the contest for the district panchayat chief.
Also read | UP’s local polls and the distortions in decentralised governance
Zila panchayat chairpersons are elected from among the elected members of zila panchayats in Uttar Pradesh. The panchayat polls or district Zila panchayat chairpersons elections are not held on a party basis but candidates enjoy the tacit support of various parties.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday tweeted to praise Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath after the BJP's big show in zila panchayat chairpersons elections.
