Local Body Polls in Rajasthan : BJP ahead but setback for CM Raje

Jaipur : The Chief Minister of Rajasthan Vasundhara Raje's ruling party BJP is leading in the local bodies' elections for which the counting is underway today, but the CM has suffered a setback with the opposition Congress winning two civic bodies in Jhalawar, her Assembly constituency.

The party lost the Jhalawar municipal council and and Jhalrapatan municipality - both in Raje's assembly constituency Jhalrapatan - after a gap of more than 15 years.

When results of 104 out of the 129 local bodies which went to the polls announced, the BJP was leading with 62 and Congress comes a distant second with 25 seats. Independents have bagged 17 municipal bodies.

However the Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje received a jolt as the BJP lost the Jhalawar Municipal Council to the Congress in her home turf. Similarly the the PCC president Sachin Pilot also suffered a set back as BJP snatched away the Ajmer Municipal Corporation from the Congress.

Since the last time a direct election was held for the Mayor post and Congress Candidate Kamal Bakolia had won it in Ajmer though the BJP got a majority in the Board.

The Congress won 21 out of the 45 wards here, the BJP 15, while the BSP and independents brought up the rest. Results of elections to civic bodies were seen as a political test for Raje and her son who were accused of helping tainted former IPL chief Lalit Modi in return for financial benefits.

In Jhalrapatan, the Congress bagged 15 out of 25 wards, while the BJP secured the remaining 10. In Jhalawar, out of a total 35, the Congress swept 20 wards leaving 15 to the ruling party.

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