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Civic victory only a trailer: says J’khand BJP; honours winning candidates

The Jharkhand BJP celebrated recent civic election wins at a grand ceremony, attacking the UPA government while Congress dismissed their claims as misleading.

Published on: Mar 09, 2026 3:06 AM IST
By , Ranchi
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In a major show of strength following the recent civic body elections, the Jharkhand State BJP organised a grand ‘Abhinandan Samaroh’ (honour ceremony) at Geetanjali Banquet Hall, Chiraundi here on Sunday. The event celebrated the victory of party-supported candidates from the Vichar Parivar, who secured key positions across the state despite the elections not being fought on official party symbols.

Jharkhand BJP president Aditya Sahu at an event on Sunday (HT PHOTO)
Jharkhand BJP president Aditya Sahu at an event on Sunday (HT PHOTO)

The ceremony honoured 3 mayors (Ranchi, Medininagar, and Adityapur), 4 city council presidents, 6 municipal council presidents, and 387 ward councillors. Senior leaders, including party national general secretary Arun Singh, state president Aditya Sahu, former CM Arjun Munda, and Union minister Sanjay Seth, welcomed the representatives by showering them with flower petals, robes, and bouquets.

Addressing the gathering, Sahu launched a scathing attack on the Hemant Soren-led UPA government. He alleged the state administration had tried to stall the elections and later misused official machinery to defeat BJP-supported candidates.

“Every winning representative must become the ‘Narendra Modi’ of their respective municipal area. Your mission is to ensure 100% delivery of Central development schemes to the poorest of the poor and the slum dwellers. This winning streak must not stop; we will rest only after removing this anti-tribal and corrupt government. “The civic results are just a glimpse—a new dawn is coming to Jharkhand,” Sahu said.

Arun Singh claimed the state government opted out of party-symbol-based elections out of sheer fear. “If this election had been fought on party symbols, the ‘Thug Alliance’ would have been completely wiped out. The people of urban Jharkhand have dealt a severe blow to the incompetent Hemant government,” Singh stated.

Arjun Munda urged the newly elected representatives to establish a “new model of governance.” He emphasised that their work at the grassroots level was essential to fulfilling the national resolve for a Viksit Bharat (developed India).

The event, which coincided with International Women’s Day, also saw special honours for women representatives. Other notable attendees included Rajya Sabha MP Sameer Oraon, chief whip Naveen Jaiswal, and MLA CP Singh.

Meanwhile, Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee (JPCC) general secretary Alok Kumar Dubey dismissed the saffron party’s claims of popularity as a “desperate attempt to mislead the people.”

Dubey said the BJP’s assertion that they would have swept the civic elections if fought on party symbols was entirely hypothetical and baseless.

“In a democracy, the public’s decision is paramount. Instead of making tall claims from air-conditioned banquet halls, BJP leaders should go among the people to assess their actual standing,” Dubey stated.

He said the restless body language of BJP leaders after the municipal results proved they were losing their ground in Jharkhand.

The Congress leader accused the BJP of using “hollow rhetoric” to distract from pressing national crises. He noted that they remain silent on the “fundamental failures” regarding inflation, unemployment, education, and healthcare.

Reacting to the BJP’s protests against West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Dubey termed it “extremely unfortunate” to drag the President’s office into partisan politics. He emphasised that the honour of the President belonged to the entire nation and should never be leveraged for political brownie points.

“The BJP, which once boasted of being the world’s largest ‘missed call’ party, has now itself become a ‘miss’ among the general public. Their politics is now restricted to social media and staged ceremonies. From the House to the streets, the BJP has failed to play the role of a strong or responsible Opposition. They are nowhere to be seen when it comes to the real issues of the people of Jharkhand,” Dubey said.

Dubey urged the BJP to stop the “blame-game” and instead respect democratic values by focusing on constructive service rather than political optics.