By ARUN PRATAP SINGH
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 1 Aug: In a rather unusual political spectacle, usually seen only in Panchayat elections, both, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress, have claimed victory in the recently concluded three-tier panchayat elections across twelve districts of Uttarakhand. Both parties today held celebratory events at their respective offices and distributed sweets. While political offices are generally scenes of celebration or quiet introspection following poll results, this time both Congress Bhawan and the BJP state headquarters in Dehradun witnessed jubilation marked by the distribution of sweets, bursting of crackers, and spirited dancing.
The election outcome has sparked considerable confusion, with each party asserting its dominance over the other. Even as Congress workers rejoiced and handed out laddoos to the supporters at Congress Bhawan here, today, the BJP too claimed widespread success, echoing similar celebratory scenes. Both parties have cited the performance of independent candidates as evidence of their own influence, given that national party symbols are not used in these polls. Consequently, the affiliations of many elected candidates remain ambiguous, allowing both parties room for interpretation.
Senior Congress leaders declared that their party had scored an emphatic victory, particularly pointing to the defeat of several senior BJP-backed candidates. They stated that it is worth asking why BJP leaders are distributing sweets when their key candidates have lost. They added that it is incomprehensible that they are celebrating in the face of such a dismal outcome.
The Congress further asserted that the electorate had punished defectors who had left the party to join the BJP. Notably, Rohit Arya, son of BJP MLA Sarita Arya, who defected from the Congress—suffered a significant defeat. Another high-profile setback occurred in Badrinath, where Rajni Bhandari, wife of former Congress MLA-turned-BJP leader Rajendra Bhandari and a former District Panchayat President, was trounced. In fact, BJP has performed disappointingly in district Chamoli which is the home district of recently re-elected BJP State President Mahendra Bhatt.
The Congress party also pointed to the defeat of six BJP-backed candidates in Minister Saurabh Bahuguna’s area, which it described as a major embarrassment for the ruling party. Among the other prominent losses cited by Congress was Neetu, wife of BJP MLA from Lansdowne, Dalip Rawat, who failed to secure a win.
The family members of several notable BJP leaders were among those who lost the elections. These included relatives of the late Kailash Gahtori, as well as the daughter of former BJP MLA from Lohaghat, Puran Singh. Karan Jeena, son of BJP MLA Mahesh Jeena, also lost in the Kshetra Panchayat polls, further adding to the list of BJP setbacks, according to Congress sources.
With no party symbols used in the panchayat elections, both BJP and Congress are currently engaged in efforts to woo successful independents. Each side is attempting to brand these winners as ideological allies, though their actual loyalties remain fluid and undefined. The next phase, involving elections for Kshetra Panchayat Presidents and District Panchayat Presidents, is expected to provide a clearer indication of political control at the grassroots level.
Despite the inconclusive nature of the current results, the Congress is already accusing the BJP of attempting to manipulate the upcoming elections by offering inducements to victorious candidates. Party leaders have also raised concerns about potential electoral malpractices.
Meanwhile, the BJP remained no less triumphant. Party MLA Khajan Das criticised Congress for prematurely claiming victory before the election results and questioning the logic behind their post-result celebrations. BJP leaders have maintained that their party’s performance was strong and consistent with public support witnessed on the ground.
It is also pertinent to remind here that in panchayat elections, personal equations of the candidates with the voters matters more than the party affiliation and ideology and in such elections. It should not be a matter of great surprise that a large number of independent candidates including many rebel candidates have managed to win. Now both the parties are not only engaged in wooing these candidates but also not hesitating to claim victory.
