Bhopal, July 10: The results of the by-elections held on July 7 for one councillor each in nine urban bodies across Madhya Pradesh were declared on Thursday, marking a significant moment in local governance.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged dominant, winning six of the nine contested seats, while the Indian National Congress (INC) secured three.

The elections were necessitated due to vacancies arising from resignations, disqualifications, and deaths of previous councillors.

According to State Election Commission Secretary Abhishek Singh, the voter turnout stood at 69.68 per cent, with male participation at 73.01 per cent and female turnout at 66.36 per cent. Voting was conducted peacefully from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on July 7, and counting began at 9 a.m. on July 10.

In Bairasia (Bhopal district), Shaista Sultan of the BJP won from ward 7, defeating an independent candidate by 314 votes. In Seoni’s ward 11, BJP’s Nidhi secured victory over Congress’s Aarti Shah by a margin of 290 votes.

Sanwer (Indore district) saw Congress’s Hasina triumph in ward 7, defeating BJP’s Mangilal by 117 votes. Gautampura’s ward 15 was won by BJP’s Shankarlal, who beat Congress’s Ramchandra Rathore by 179 votes.

Congress made gains in Bichhiya (Mandla district), where Rajkumari Dhurve won ward 13, defeating the BJP’s Janaki Bai Dhurve by 218 votes.

In Khand (Shahdol district), Congress’s Shashidhar Tripathi edged out BJP’s Sharada Prasad Gupta by 87 votes. Newton Chikhli (Chhindwara district) saw BJP’s Nikita Barkhe win ward 4 against Congress’s Gayatri Kumre by 107 votes.

In Bhikangaon (Khargone district), BJP’s Kamlesh Kaushal defeated former Congress council chairperson Poonam Amit Jaiswal by 205 votes. The seat had fallen vacant after Jaiswal was disqualified for concealing criminal records in her nomination papers.

In Kakarhati (Panna district), BJP’s Hiralal Adivasi was elected unopposed in ward 13. These results reflect the BJP’s continued grassroots strength, while Congress’s wins in key districts suggest pockets of resilience.

The outcomes may influence upcoming municipal leadership contests, particularly in Bhikangaon, where a chairperson by-election is expected soon. (IANS)

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