Last Update: December 31, 2022, 08:10 AM IST
The counting of votes is still underway in some ULBs in various districts. (Representational Image: Reuters/File)
The RJD said that the ULB elections in the state were not held on political party lines and the victory of any one candidate cannot be declared as the victory of a political party.
The BJP on Friday claimed that majority of its supported candidates have emerged victorious in the elections to the urban local bodies (ULBs) in Bihar, the results of which started pouring in on Friday.
Candidates believed to be supported by the ruling Grand Alliance also won several posts.
The RJD said that the ULB elections in the state were not held on political party lines and the victory of any one candidate cannot be declared as the victory of a political party.
While the counting of votes was underway at several places, Sita Sahoo returned as the mayor of the Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC), officials said.
The “BJP-backed” candidate defeated his nearest rival Majjbi by a margin of 18,529 votes. On the post of Deputy Mayor, Chandravanshi defeated Anjana Gandhi by 5251 votes.
This time the election for the post of mayor and deputy mayor was done by direct vote of the general public. Earlier people were elected on both these posts by the votes of the ward councillors.
Several close relatives of various leaders contested the election and several other candidates claimed the support of the ruling or opposition coalitions.
Bihar BJP spokesperson Arvind Kumar Singh said, “The results of the ULB elections are a clear indication that people have rejected the Nitish Kumar-led Grand Alliance government in Bihar. In several municipal corporations including Patna, Muzaffarpur, Katihar, Siwan and Saran, majority of BJP-backed candidates won the posts of mayor and deputy mayor.
Responding to BJP’s claims, RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari told PTI, “There is no need to comment on it. Since ULB elections are not held on party symbols, how can they claim victory of individual candidates as their own? BJP was not in favor of ULB elections in the state from the very beginning.
The elections for 1,665 posts covering 1,529 wards of 135 ULBs in 23 districts were held on December 28.
Elections were held for 17 Municipal Corporations, two Municipal Councils and 49 Nagar Panchayats.
“BJP-backed” candidates won the mayor’s post in Muzaffarpur Nagar Nigam (Nirmala Devi), Bhagalpur Nagar Nigam (Vadhundra Lal), Arrah Nagar Nigam (Indu Devi) and Chapra (Saran) Nagar Nigam (Rakhi Gupta).
The ruling Mahagathbandhan-supported nominees won the posts of mayor in Gaya Nagar Nigam (Ganesh Paswan), Purnea Nagar Nigam (Vibha Kumari), Munger Nagar Nigam (Kumkum Devi) and Begusarai Nagar Nigam (Pinki Kumari).
The counting of votes is still underway in some ULBs in various districts.
Officials told that Sandhya Hazari, the wife of JDU leader Maheshwar Hazari, Deputy Speaker of the Bihar Legislative Assembly, lost in the election for the post of Mayor of Samastipur Municipal Corporation.
Surabhi Ghai, daughter-in-law of former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar and senior BJP leader Renu Devi, has lost the election from the post of Mayor of Bettiah Municipal Corporation in West Champaran district.
Sporadic incidents of violence affected the polling of urban local bodies in the state, in which 57.17 per cent of the nearly 62 lakh voters exercised their franchise.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)