BJP executive to study civic poll results

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, DEC. 26. Five months after the Gujarat civic polls debacle, the much awaited ``report'' by the BJP's State unit explaining this failure, has yet to see the light of day. The subject is expected to come up at the two-day national executive committee meeting of the party here, on January 4 and 5.

Senior party leaders today said the civic and panchayat polls of three States will be discussed - the Gujarat fiasco, the not-as- bad-as-feared results of the Uttar Pradesh municipal polls, and the definite victory in Himachal Pradesh.

The party is satisfied with Himachal Pradesh where it has won all the elections held in the 33 months of Dhumal Government. It won all the 6 Vidhan Sabha elections, a Parliamentary bye-election for Mandi, and now the panchayat polls.

BJP's hold over Himachal seems complete, despite the unhappiness of the former Chief Minister, Mr. Shanta Kumar, who is now the Food Minister at the Centre. In elections for 2953 panchayats, the BJP has won 2350 posts of president and an equal number of vice-presidents. Of a total of just over 18,000 panchayat members elected, 14,000 owe allegiance to the BJP.

But the victory cannot make up for the loss in Gujarat, which is the only State where the BJP is in power without depending on an ally. The U.P. results will also be looked at carefully, especially since the State will be going to polls late next year or in early 2002. Although the party has claimed a ``victory'' in U.P., a close look at the results of civic elections showed that the party had begun to lose ground even in urban centres which have been its traditional supporters.

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Section  : National
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