UP civic body polls 2023: History made as Shahjahanpur gets first mayor, BJP's Archana Verma wins

Verma defeated Nikhat Iqbal of the Congress by more than 30,000 votes.

Published on: May 13, 2023, 16:37:04 IST

By HT News Desk, New Delhi

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Shahjahanpur's first mayor will be from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as its candidate, Archana Verma, on Saturday emerged victorious in the counting of votes for the 2023 Uttar Pradesh civic body elections, the polling for which was held on May 4 and 11.

Archana Verma joined BJP from SP in April

Click here for live updates on mayoral election results

According to the State Election Commission (SEC), Uttar Pradesh, Verma secured as many as 80,740 votes, while Nikhat Iqbal of the Congress was second with 50,840 votes. Samajwadi Party's (SP) Mala Rathore came third with 20,144 votes.

Incidentally, Verma joined the ruling BJP from SP, doing so last month, and despite being announced by the Akhilesh Yadav-led party as its mayoral candidate. The SP then fielded Rathore.

List of winning/leading mayoral candidates

“People in the SP had formed factions and they were conspiring to defeat me. Voters are with me and they are extending their support to me,” Verma had said after switching sides, according to PTI.

The Shahjahanpur Municipal Corporation was formed in 2018, a year after the previous urban local body polls. This year, therefore, as many as 17 mayoral positions were at stake, one more than in 2017. That year, the BJP won 14 posts, and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), two.

Overall, the BJP is sweeping the mayoral polls, with wins/leads for all 17 positions.These are among 14,648 posts for which the votes were polled.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
HT News Desk
Follow the latest breaking news, major developments and agenda-setting stories from India and around the world with the newsdesk at Hindustan Times. Operating round the clock, the desk brings together experienced editors, reporters and correspondents to deliver fast, accurate and contextual reporting across subjects that influence public policy, governance, business, society and international affairs. The HT News Desk covers politics, elections, government policies, the economy, business and markets, science and technology, the environment, law and order, infrastructure, education, climate issues and geopolitics, while closely tracking developments across states, institutions and global capitals. The team also leads coverage of major breaking news events, policy announcements, court proceedings, natural disasters, public emergencies and significant international developments. Reports published by the newsdesk are based on information gathered from reporters on the ground, official statements, government agencies, court records, regulatory filings, recognised institutions and other authoritative sources. Stories undergo editorial scrutiny and verification processes to ensure accuracy, fairness and relevance, and are updated as events evolve and additional information becomes available. Whether covering a key political decision in New Delhi, an economic policy shift affecting millions, a landmark court ruling or a major global event, the HT News Desk aims to provide readers with reliable, fact-based journalism that delivers not only the latest developments but also the context and analysis needed to understand their wider implications.Read More