Congress Victory Setback for BJP as Congress wins all 7 Municipal Corporations in Punjab
Chandigarh/IBNS: Causing a massive setback for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the backdrop of the farmers' protests, the Congress on Wednesday won all seven Municipal Corporations in Punjab that went to polls on Feb 14, media reports said.
The Congress, which runs the government in Punjab, has won Abohar, Bathinda, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur, Pathankot, Moga and Batla.
The Punjab State Election Commission has ordered re-polling at two polling booths of SAS Municipal Corporation on Wednesday following reports of irregularities on Feb 14 elections.
Celebrating the victory, Punjab Minister Manpreet Singh Badal tweeted, "History has been made today! Bathinda will get a Congress Mayor for the 1st time in 53 years! Thank you to ALL Bathinda residents. Congratulations to the people of Bathinda for a spectacular victory. Kudos to all Congress candidates and workers, who toiled for this day."
"Thank you to all contestants who kept the flame of democracy bright and burning. We stand committed in working together for the development of Bathinda and ensuring a better future for our residents."
Thank you to all contestants who kept the flame of democracy bright and burning.
— Manpreet Singh Badal (@MSBADAL) February 17, 2021
We stand committed in working together for the development of Bathinda and ensuring a better future for our residents. pic.twitter.com/N7Y2xMahO3
The loss in Punjab comes at a time the BJP government at the Centre is facing the stiffest challenge in the form of farmers' protests.
Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, are camped in and around Delhi since Nov 26 in protest against the Narendra Modi's agricultural reforms, which will allow the farmers to sell their produce beyond the government wholesale market.
However, the farmers say they would be left at the mercy of the big corporates due to the new laws.
Amid pressure, the BJP government has offered to pause the implementation of the laws for 18 months, though the protesters want the repeal of the laws.
In the course of the protests, the BJP has also lost its old ally in Punjab, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) which has pulled itself from the national coalition.
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