The ruling Samajwadi Party and main opposition the Bharatiya Janata Party received a setback in the recently-held Kshetra and zila panchayat polls in Uttar Pradesh.
Although the panchayat polls were not fought on party lines, the candidates supported by both the SP and the BJP did not fare upto the expectations, reports reaching the state headquarters indicated.
The party, which gained the most in the polls, was the Bahujan Samaj Party.
In the state capital Lucknow, the ruling party won only seven seats out of the total 27 seats of zila panchayat while the BSP notched up 12.
However, sitting zila panchayat chairman and SP candidate Pushpa Rawat won the polls.
Of the total 28 seats in the Faizabad district, 10 were won by BSP supported candidates while the SP and its ally RLD could manage only nine and four seats respectively. The BJP won only one seat.
Another report from Farrukhabad said that out of the total 25 zila panchayat seats, the SP-supported candidates won 10, while the BSP and BJP captured six and four seats respectively. In the district, most of the kin of senior leaders won the elections.
In Basti district, of the total 39 seats of zila panchayat members, the SP could win only nine seats, while the BSP captured eight. The Congress could not open its account in the district, while the BJP had to be satisfied with only three seats. Most of the seats were won by the independents.
More from rediff