The Aam Aadmi Party won 15 out of 100 zilla parishad seats it contested in the Haryana Panchayat polls, the results for which were declared on Sunday, reported PTI.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party won 22 of the 102 seats it contested in seven districts, including Ambala, Yamunanagar, Nuh and Gurugram.
The panchayat polls for 411 zilla parishad wards in Haryana’s 22 districts were held in three phases between October 30 and November 25.
Those elected to the zilla parishad wards will in turn elect the 22 district chiefs. The state has 143 panchayat samitis, comprising 3,081 members who will also elect their presidents.
The BJP lost all seats in Panchkula and Sirsa, while only two of its candidates could secure a win in Ambala, reported The Indian Express. In Nuh, the BJP won seven seats.
Notably, Sirsa is the headquarters of Dera Sacha Sauda whose chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was granted a 40-day parole in October ahead of the polls.
Singh was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment in 2017 for raping two of his women disciples at the Dera headquarters in Sirsa, while last year he was given life imprisonment in the murder case of sect manager Ranjit Singh.
Sunday’s results showed that several Independent candidates have registered wins in the zilla parishad polls. Independent candidate Rajesh Devi beat Suman Saini, the wife of Kurukshetra BJP MP Nayab Singh Saini, to win the ward-4 Ambala zilla parishad, reported The Indian Express.
The BJP has, however, claimed that it has been backing about 151 of the winning Independent candidates, reported the newspaper.
Meanwhile, Indian National Lok Dal leader and Ellenabad legislator Abhay Chautala’s son Karan Chautala won the ward-6 of Sirsa zilla parishad by more than 600 votes.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!