CHANDIGARH: The Akali Dal (Badal) president Parkash Singh Badal has refuted the Congress (I) claim that it has won the civic elections in Punjab saying the ruling party bagged less than half the wards it contested on its own symbol.

On the basis of information collected from what he described as official sources Badal told newsmen that the Congress (I) had won only in about 300 of the 1090 wards where it fielded official candidates. Even if the ruling party’s claim of winning 400 wards was accepted the percentage was less than 50 and hence could not constitute an outright victory. He said the Congress (I) capturing municipal committees with the help of independents would be a mockery as a majority of voters had rejected it in the civic poll. This manipulation would not establish the credibility It had lost in the Vidban Sabha elections six months ago.

Badal rattled out names of the municipal committees where the Congress (I) had been defeated and said the ruling party had been routed in the Malwa region extending from Patiala to Ferozepore. He however could not tell the number of independent candidates who had won with his party’s support. He said the people had formed anti-Congress (I) fronts in most of the municipal committees to defeat the ruling party and they had succeeded despite the rigging of elections through bogus votes and official pressure According to him the Congress (I) polled lesser votes in urban areas compared to its tally in the Vidhan Sabha elections. The ruling party had suffered its worst defeat at Payal the Chief Minister Beant

Singh’s earlier assembly constituency in Ludhiana district where two close relatives of the sitting Congress (I) MLA had lost in the civic poll and the municipal committee had been captured by the opposition. Like other Akali groups the Badal faction had adopted independents in the civic poll.

Giving details of results in the Malwa region an Akali stronghold Badal said the Congress (I) had been defeated at Bhatinda Rampura Phool Bhucho Maur and Rama Mandis Ganuar Kot Fateh Sangat Patiala Samana Sanaur Nabha Gidderbaha (Badal’s assembly constituency) Malout Breta Jaito Mansa Budhladha Ahmedgarh Muktsar Lehra Bhawanigarh Longowal Sunam Dhanaula Barnala Sangrur Dharamkot Jalalabad Guru Harsarai and Zira. The ruling party had also lost at Ropar Kurali Anandpur Sahib Morinda Kharar Amlon and Mandi Gobindgarh.

When his attention was drawn to the ruling party’s claim that it would capture 70 of the 95 municipal committees in the state the Akali leader said “we will go by official record. Which proves that the people voted against the Congress (I). There are far more anti-Congress (I) wards than pro-Congress (I) wards and the ‘Hand’ the ruling party’s symbol has been rejected.”

Meanwhile the CPI said both the Congress (I) and the BJP did

Not get the response they had expected.

Article extracted from this publication >> September 18, 1992