MADHYA PRADESH :

The first phase civic body election results in Madhya Pradesh were declared on Sunday, while the counting of votes for the second phase of polling was held on Wednesday.

The three-tier urban civic body elections in MP for 347 municipal bodies, including 16 municipal corporations, 76 municipal councils and 255 Nagar Parishads, were held in two phases – on July 6 and 13. (ANI File Photo)

Bhopal:

Three candidates of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), a political wing of the Popular Front of India (PFI) won the councillor elections from Neemuch, which witnessed communal tension in May this year.

SDPI candidates Arbina Bi and Jafar Shah won from wards 10 and 11 of Rampur municipality of Neemuch district by defeating two BJP candidates while Jafar Shah won from wards no 11 of Manasa by defeating a Congress candidate.

PFI and SDPI have become active in a dozen districts of Madhya Pradesh over the past two years.

SDPI leader K Saleem from Indore said, “Congress leaders have asked us not to contest the election because it will help BJP like AIMIM. By defeating BJP candidates, we have proven that SDPI is fighting for the rights of people.”

In the run-up to the civic elections, state home minister Narottam Mishra had repeatedly targetted the SDPI, calling it anti-national.

Saleem attributed the party’s win to the goodwill for SDPI after its volunteers saved lives during the floods in the city two years ago.

BJP spokesperson Rajneesh Agrawal insisted that too much should not be read into the SDPI wins., “Many factors are involved in local bodies election so it is wrong to say that they (candidates) won because of SDPI.”

In May this year, communal violence erupted in Neemuch after some people tried to install a Lord Hanuman idol near a Muslim Shrine.

source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> Cities> Bhopal News / by Shruti Tomar / July 22nd, 2022