Modi hails BJP’s Rajasthan civic poll victory as ‘victory of truth’ over ‘echo of falsehood’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday hailed the BJP's performance in Rajasthan's urban local body elections, saying the victory was proof of the triumph of truth over the “echo of falsehood”.

The BJP emerged ahead of the Congress in the civic polls, winning 4,179 wards against the opposition party's 3,613. It secured clear majorities in four of Rajasthan's 10 municipal corporations.

“Heartfelt gratitude to the public for securing a resounding victory for the BJP in the Rajasthan local body elections. This is proof of the victory of truth over the echo of falsehood,” Modi said in a post on X in Hindi.

The prime minister said the mandate had once again demonstrated people's support for the “double-engine government's” policies of good governance and development.

He added that the victory would further strengthen the BJP's resolve to take Rajasthan to greater heights of progress and improve the lives of its people.

“On this occasion, many congratulations to all the winning candidates as well as the dedicated and hardworking workers of the party,” Modi said.

According to figures available on the Rajasthan State Election Commission website, results for 10,235 of the 10,244 wards had been declared by 8.30 pm on Monday.

The BJP crossed the majority mark in the Jaipur, Udaipur, Kota and Bhilwara municipal corporations, while the Congress secured a majority in Bikaner Municipal Corporation. The Congress also registered a major victory in the Jhalawar municipal council, considered a stronghold of former chief minister Vasundhara Raje.

The BJP also credited the electorate with endorsing the party's governance agenda.

BJP national president Nitin Nabin thanked the people of Rajasthan for what he described as a “historic victory” and said the results reflected their “unwavering faith” in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.

“Bypassing those who spread confusion and naraz fufas, Rajasthan has put its stamp of approval on policies for public welfare, development, and good governance,” Nabin said in a post on X.

He congratulated Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, state BJP president Madan Rathore and party workers, saying the victory would strengthen the party's journey of service “from Panchayat to Parliament”.

BJP MP and national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi also attacked the Congress over the results, particularly highlighting the party's performance in Kota, where Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had held the student-centric programme 'Chhatron Ki Goonj'.

“In Kota, where Rahul Gandhi had gone and attempted to create 'jhooth ki goonj', the BJP appears to be winning spectacularly,” Trivedi told reporters.

He claimed the results showed that there was “more propaganda and less reality” in the Congress's claims.

Elections were held for 309 urban local bodies in Rajasthan, comprising 10 municipal corporations, 47 municipal councils and 252 municipal boards, Trivedi said. He claimed the BJP, along with its allies, was in a position to win almost all the municipal corporations.

Trivedi also said the BJP's performance in Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota showed that voters had “completely rejected” the policy of dividing municipal corporations.

“This once again shows that the people's trust in Prime Minister Narendra Modi is continuously increasing, and the people of Rajasthan have also given their positive approval to the government of Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma,” he said.

He accused the previous Congress government of mishandling local body elections and said voters had given it a “befitting reply”.

“During the Congress government, the local body elections in Rajasthan were conducted in eight phases. Our government conducted them in a single phase,” Trivedi said.

“We did one state, one election. The Congress conducted the elections in phases and even after that, it could not achieve success,” he added.

Trivedi also highlighted the BJP's gains in Bundi, Dausa, Hanumangarh, Karauli, Dholpur and Bharatpur, where he claimed the party had failed to form even a single board in any local body in the previous elections.

He said the BJP was now making gains in these districts as well, describing the results as an important step towards the party's “social and geographical expansion”.

“Wherever the Congress party may engage in propaganda and make whatever meaningless statements it wants to, the 'jhooth ki goonj' becomes ineffective and futile before the truth,” Trivedi said.

(With inputs from PTI)