New Delhi: The Congress party registered a significant victory in elections held in 15 urban bodies of Chhattisgarh, reported PTI. The party won 174 out of 300 wards for which counting was completed while the Bharatiya Janata Party was restricted to 89 wards. The Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J) got 6 wards while 31 wards were secured by independent candidates.


One of the poll officials was quoted by PTI who said that counting for votes for 15 urban bodies and bypolls for 15 wards had started on Monday at 9 am at 29 counting centres. 


Four Municipal Corporations, six Municipal Councils, and five Nagar Panchayats had also undergone elections. In the Birgaon Municipal Corporation in Raipur district, the Congress won 19 out of the 40 wards and BJP got 10, while the JCC(J) and independent candidates won 5 and 6 wards respectively.


In the bypolls for 15 wards in 13 urban bodies, the Congress registered their victory in 11 wards whereas BJP got just 1 and the remaining 3 wards were won by independent candidates. 


Results for the remaining 70 wards of Bhilai Municipal Corporation in the Durg district were yet to be announced as the counting was underway as per the official. 


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Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said that the victory indicated the success of the welfare schemes launched by their government. “Results in all municipal bodies are in favour of the Congress. These results show the success of public welfare schemes of the state government. People have shown faith in three years of the Congress rule in the state and given their mandate in favour of the party,” the Chief Minister said. 


While the Congress party attributed their welfare schemes as a major factor for victory, the BJP claimed that the poll results show declining trust of people in the current government. State BJP President Vishnudeo Sai said, ““The results show the Bhupesh government has become unpopular and it is the beginning of a Congress-free Chhattisgarh.”


He said that the Party respected people’s mandate and “BJP workers will go to the assembly elections (scheduled in 2023) with its full vigor to make the state Congress-free.”