 "BJP heading for big win with 5 seats so far in Haridwar panchayat polls")
The BJP on Thursday was on way to recording a good show in the three-tier panchayat elections in Haridwar district winning five of the 44 district board seats and leading comfortably in around 15 others.
Of the eight seats whose results have been declared so far, BJP has won five, BSP 2 and Congress 1. The counting was still in progress but the BJP is likely to emerge as the single largest party in the district panchayat board with a tally of around 20 seats.
The BJP-supported candidates have also won 70 per cent of the seats in block and gram panchayats. Out of a total of 316 Gram Pradhan seats, results of 282 have been declared and most of them have been won by BJP-supported candidates.
BJP-supported candidates have won a majority of seats in the six block panchayats too. As per the trends, the BSP is likely to finish second behind BJP followed by independents.
It is a record performance by the saffron party in Haridwar district panchayat polls. Out of a total of 47 district panchayat board seats in the previous panchayat polls, the BJP had won only three whereas the BSP and Congress had won 15 seats each.
Expressing happiness at the party's impressive show, Haridwar MP and former Union minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said the BJP has come out with flying colours for the first time in the district panchayat polls.
The rural population of the district has shown confidence in the party's policies and leadership.
Former state minister Yatishwaranand thanked the people for reposing confidence in the BJP, saying all development works stalled for the last six months will be resumed once a BJP dominated district panchayat board comes into existence.