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Punjab Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti election results: Congress leading in majority of seats, oppn cries foul

The final result will be declared later on Saturday night after compiling reports from all districts.

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Congress candidates of panchayat samiti and zila parishad polls in Punjab are leading in a majority of seats, a state election official said on Saturday.

A total of 354 zila parishad members and 2,900 panchayat samiti members will be elected in these elections, the polling for which was held on September 19.

33 candidates of zila parishad polls and 369 nominees of panchayat samiti elections have already been declared unopposed. 

Live updates on Punjab Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti election results here

Candidates of the ruling Congress were way ahead of their political rivals on majority of seats of zila parishad and panchayat samitis, the official said, adding the final result will be declared later on Saturday night after compiling reports from all districts.

The SAD-BJP combine appears to have suffered a setback in these polls after a gap of 10 years, while the AAP, it seems, has almost been routed.

In Gurdaspur, where the result was declared, the Congress won 212, out of 213 panchayat samiti seats and the remaining one was won by an Independent candidate.

In case of zila parishad, the Congress registered victory in 18, out of 25 seats and was leading in the rest, the election official said.

Victory of Punjabis, says Amarinder Singh

Terming the poll results "yet another endorsement of his government's policies and programmes", Amarinder Singh claimed it reflects a "total rejection of the opposition's malicious campaign" against the ruling party.

Accusing the opposition parties of trying to thwart free and fair poll process, with "cheap pressure tactics and false propaganda", he congratulated the people of Punjab for standing firm against attempts to sway them.

The chief minister also lauded the state election commission, civic and police administration, and all poll officials for ensuring smooth conduct of the elections.

"Overwhelmed by huge mandate for @INCIndia in Panchayat Samiti-Zila Parishad polls. Voters have seen through vicious campaign of @Akali_Dal_ & @AamAadmiParty. It is a victory of Punjabis & we will redouble efforts to fulfill promises made to people of Punjab. #CongSweepsPolls," he said in a tweet. 

He asserted that this was the fourth consecutive "humiliating" defeat of the SAD-BJP combine, after back to back victories of the Congress in the state Assembly, urban local bodies elections, and Gurdaspur Parliamentary and Shahkot Assembly bypolls.

Singh termed it a "vindication of his party's efforts to bring the state out of the quagmire of devastation into which it had been plunged by the previous SAD-BJP government".

Rejecting the Akali allegation of booth capture by the Congress, he claimed that it was the SAD which had "stooped to all kind of hooliganism to try and derail" the poll process.

Fabricated and fake victory, says opposition

The AAP accused the Congress of "winning" the polls by misusing official machinery and intimidating opponents.

"It is not a defeat of the opposition but of democracy," AAP MLA and Leader of opposition Harpal Singh Cheema said in a statement.

SAD Chief Sukhbir Singh Badal came down heavily on Congress for "making a mockery of democracy" during the polls.

Badal alleged that during the polls, hooliganism was rampant in which Congressmen were involved.

"The height of atrocities by the Congress raised eyebrows as it crossed all the limits, since rules were thrown to wind and police machinery was hell-bent upon helping the ruling party candidates to win the polls by hook or by crook," he said. 

"The Congress actually lost this poll hands down and they know it. They announced a fabricated and fake victory by altering results," Badal said.

"Instead of celebrating, Congress should be mourning the death of democracy in Punjab and premature death of the mandate which they had received in 2017. In reality, it is a sad day for the Congress in reality, and a bad day for democracy," he said.

The SAD claimed, "The Congress, the state bureaucracy, the police and even the Chief Electoral Officer functioned like a coalition of gangsters to deny people their right to vote without fear." 

(With PTI inputs) 

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