The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday claimed that its performance in the local elections in Rajasthan symbolised the trust that the poor, labourers and farmers have in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.

The saffron party has won a majority of the seats in the Panchayat Samiti and the Zila Parishad elections, which were conducted in 21 districts of Rajasthan. Of the 4,371 Panchayat Samiti seats, the BJP has already secured 1,989, while the Congress won 1,852 seats, according to The Times of India. Out of the 636 seats in the Zila Parishad, the BJP has won 353, while the Congress bagged 252. The counting is still underway.

“In Rajasthan’s Panchayat and Zilla Parishad elections, the state’s residents of the rural sector, farmers and women have put their faith in the BJP. For this, I thank them,” Nadda tweeted in Hindi. “This win is a symbol of the trust in Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”

Union minister Prakash Javadekar lauded the BJP’s performance and said the party was able to secure 14 of the 21 Zilla Parishads, while the Congress secured only five. The saffron party also won in 93 of the 222 seats in the Panchayat Samitis, reported NDTV.

“This shows that the people of Rajasthan are with the BJP,” Javadekar said, according to NDTV. “And not only Rajasthan, the results in Bihar, Telangana, Arunachal Pradesh, all show that the entire nation is happy with the BJP and its reforms. Voters have rejected the opposition’s negative politics.”

Javadekar said the mood in every part of the country seemed to be veering towards the BJP. “Be it east, south, north...wherever you go, it’s BJP, BJP, BJP,” he added. “Despite the opposition’s attack on farm reforms, people are supporting the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”

The elections were held in four phases in 21 districts of Ajmer, Banswara, Barmer, Bhilwara, Bikaner, Bundi, Chittorgarh, Churu, Dungarpur, Hanumangarh, Jaisalmer, Jalore, Jhalawar, Jhunjhunu, Nagaur, Pali, Pratapgarh, Rajsamand, Sikar, Tonk and Udaipur. The results will decide the fate of 1,778 candidates in the Zila Parishad elections, and 12,663 candidates in the Panchayat Samiti election.

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Rajasthan: BJP leads in majority of seats in local body polls, counting still underway