Congress elated over its improved performance

ELATED OVER the victory of Congress candidate Ashish Mishra, who defeated Samajwadi Party MLA Radhey Shyam Jaiswal in the Sitapur Nagar Palika chairman election, the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) today asserted that the Bharatiya Janata Party would have been wiped out if Muslim had voted unblock in favour of Congress in the urban local bodies poll.

ELATED OVER the victory of Congress candidate Ashish Mishra, who defeated Samajwadi Party MLA Radhey Shyam Jaiswal in the Sitapur Nagar Palika chairman election, the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) today asserted that the Bharatiya Janata Party would have been wiped out if Muslim had voted unblock in favour of Congress in the urban local bodies poll.

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UPCC (Urban Local Bodies Cell) chairman Fazle Masood said the party had secured nearly 27 per cent votes in the metropolitan towns in the election. The party would have won 80 per cent urban local bodies seats had it got 10 per cent more Muslim votes, he said.

Masood said the party had secured nearly 30 seats in the town areas vis-à-vis 20 seats in the last election. The party was able to distribute election symbols only to 60 per cent of its candidates in view of the festival season, he said.

About 37 Congress supported candidates too had won, he added.

The Samajwadi Party did not leave any stone unturned in winning the election, he said, adding, “official machinery supported the BJP candidates wherever the SP was weak.” Masood also questioned the partial role of the State Election Commission (SEC) saying it deferred the Gonda Nagar Palika chairman election just on the basis of a district magistrate report. There was no justification of the decision and the party would have won the seat had the poll not been deferred, he said.

Masood listed the districts where the poll had been rigged and alleged SP MP Dharmendra Yadav led booth capturing in Mainpuri.