Fri. Mar 29th, 2024
By World Economic Forum from Cologny, Switzerland (Sachin Pilot) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

The Congress has found its pick-me-up following the debilitating defeat it saw in the Northeast. The redemption though small isn’t insignificant. Congress won by-polls for the local bodies in  Rajasthan.

The Congress won 4 out of 6 Zilla Parishad seats. It won twelve of twenty Panchayat Samiti seats and four of six municipal seats on 6th March. Congress is celebrating this come-back after winning two parliamentary seats and one assembly constituency against BJP. These aren’t the be all and end all of the things in Rajasthan but after the crushing losses Congress will be holding on to whatever it can to boost its own morale.

Sachin Pilot said, “It is a yet another victory of party workers. In the last four years, the BJP  has exploited people of the state due to its anti-people policies.

He also pointed out that Congress’ voting percentage has been going up in the elections held in the last four years and that the trend would continue in the upcoming state elections later this year. BJP may have to pull up their socks in Rajasthan to bring about a defeat in Rajasthan. But the overall strength of the BJP will not be dented so easily.

For the BJP very obviously this isn’t a huge victory for Congress. It still controls 21 of 33 Zilla Parishads and 157 of 183 municipalities. Congress called out Vasundhara Raje’s government and that it was time for it to go. According to Pilot, Congress had responsibly played its role as the opposition party. He said that the party won as they maintained a dialogue with different sections of the state. Congress will still have to hold its cards to its chest and play them well if they are to outrun BJP whether be in the state elections or at the national level and it won’t be easy.

By Sahitya