Chandigarh, June 30: The ruling Congress has emerged victorious in majority of the 12,337 Panchayats in Punjab defeating Shiromani Akali Dal-supported nominees in the local bodies elections held yesterday. The ruling party has won between 65 and 70 per cent of posts. The Shiromani Akali Dal has accepted defeat with its president Parkash Singh Badal describing the elections as a "blatant murder of democracy" marred by deletion of voters and bogus voting.
Badal also suffered reversals in his home village, Badal where his associate Gurdas Kaur lost to Congress' Jaswinder Kaur, who is also related to the Badals, but is stated to be an arch rival of the SAD chief. While the elections were contested on non-party lines, it was the Congress flag that dominated victory processions taken out in the rural areas of the border state today, reports here said.
The Congress polled the highest 90 per cent in Gurdaspur district and lowest 42 per cent in Mansa district. With an urban bias, BJP has not been able to make its presence felt. SAD, Congress, CPI and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supported nominees besides independents have emerged victorious especially in Mansa, Moga, Nawan Shahar and Bhatinda districts.
Four persons, two each of the Congress and SAD, were killed in poll-related incidents in Tarn Taran, Batala, Muktsar and Jagraon. Eighty people were injured in 12 clashes during polling yesterday when 75.23 per cent of 1.30 crore electorate cast their votes. Bureau Report