CHANDIGARH: The Congress would have to depend heavily upon the independents to capture power in a number of notified area committees in Punjab, 26 of which went to the polls on Nov.20.
According to the latest results available, the ruling party has returned in majority only in about a dozen notified area committees. These include Ajnala, Rayya, Ghanaur, Ghagga, Patran, Khanauri, Moonak, Tariwala and Bagha Purana. The election to Mohali nagar panchayat was postponed by the state government and to Mullanpur Dakha notified area committee on the orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The elections to some wards in two other notified area committees have also been postponed.
‘According to an official spokesman, the Congress contested from 250 wards and won from 175. The Bahujan Samaj Party which contested from 92 wards was able to win only from six wards and the Bharatiya Janata Party from eight ‘outof50 wards, the independents number about 100.
Almost all the political parties had contested these elections on party symbol. However, the Akali Dal (Badal) is not a recognized political party and its candidates contested as independents.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 25, 1994
