Local body polls broke myth of BJP\'s stronghold in urban areas: Sachin Pilot

Jaipur: The result of the recently-held urban local body (ULB) elections has broken the myth that the BJP has strong roots in the state's urban areas, Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot said on Wednesday.

The ruling Congress on Tuesday secured control over 20 local government bodies out of the 49 where elections were held last week in Rajasthan, with the BJP reaching the majority mark in only six.

People have reposed their faith in the Congress and have understood that it is the Congress that can bring development, he said.

"The mandate of the people in the urban local bodies'' election is historic. These elections took place after 11 months of the Congress coming to power in the state.

"In the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won all the seats but today, the illusion of the BJP having a stronghold in urban areas stands nowhere," the deputy chief minister said.

The BJP focused on "emotional" issues such as those of the Ram temple, abrogation of Article 370 and triple talaq, but the ULB poll results came in favour of the Congress, the way it was 11-months back in the state assembly election, Mr Pilot said.

"The results show that BJP (in the state) today is a divided opposition that has neither a policy nor the intention to work for the people. The public has understood that it is the Congress that can bring development," he told reporters at the Congress office in Jaipur.

"Of the 49 civic bodies, the Congress has received the mandate at a majority of the places. The Congress has emerged as the largest party and now, when the election of chairperson and vice chairman will be held on November 26 and 27, I have full faith that with the help of Independent councillors and others, we will form a Congress board," Mr Pilot said.

He alleged that the country was suffering from economic slowdown and unemployment.

Mr Pilot also attacked the central government over replacing the Special Protection Group (SPG) security cover given to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, her son Rahul Gandhi and daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra by the ''Z-plus'' security of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

"The way the security cover of AICC president Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi has been reduced, (it shows) it has been done with inferiority complex. These election results have brought many things in the front," he said.

Mr Pilot said the Congress never worked with a negative mindset.

"The Gandhi family has always been under threat and nobody can forget the martyrdom of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, but despite that such negative action was taken," he said.

The deputy chief minister said the youth have understood that the BJP is doing politics by making big speeches and advertisements but have failed to deliver on its promise.

On students agitating against the appointment of a Muslim as a Sanskrit professor at the Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Mr Pilot said, "I personally believe that if a qualified person wants to teach a subject but he is opposed only in the name of religion, it is wrong."

"Some people might have a different viewpoint but I do not believe that in a democratic system where everyone is equal under the Constitution, a person is denied teaching despite being qualified is unjustified," he said.

Commenting on the BJP's allegations that there are differences between the Congress-led Rajasthan government and the party's organisation in the state, he said, the ULB poll results have showed that the government and the organisation are working in coordination.