New Delhi: The Congress party has intensified its accusations of electoral manipulation following the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s dominant performance in the recent local body elections across Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. The party claims the Election Commission aided the ruling party in undermining democratic processes. According to BJP's regional chief Mahesh Agari, his party secured 91 out of 122 positions without facing any competition-representing approximately three-quarters of all seats across municipalities, district panchayats, and gram panchayats. According to reports, Congress officials assert that roughly four-fifths of their candidate applications were dismissed. The opposition has taken their grievances to the Bombay High Court, contesting the rejection decisions. Voting for the contested positions is set to take place on Wednesday, November 5.

Massive Gains for BJP

The BJP achieved uncontested victories in 35 of 48 district panchayat positions, a significant increase from just nine such wins in the previous election cycle five years prior. They also won 30 of 44 gram panchayat seats and 26 of 30 municipal seats without opposition. Historical data from 2020 shows that 84 of 150 gram panchayat seats went uncontested, with 47 secured by independent candidates. The November 2020 elections, conducted during the pandemic, saw the BJP winning all contested bodies. Regional election officials reported that BJP candidates won without competition in 10 of 16 Daman district panchayat seats, 12 of 15 Daman municipality wards, and 10 of 16 gram panchayats. In Diu, five of eight district panchayat seats went to BJP candidates unopposed. The pattern continued in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, where BJP secured 20 of 26 district panchayat seats, 14 of 15 municipal wards, and 18 of 26 gram panchayats without facing challengers. Election certificates were distributed to BJP winners on October 24-25. 

Of 21 Congress nominations for district panchayat elections, only four were reportedly accepted. For municipal council elections, 11 of 12 applications were allegedly rejected. Notable rejections included applications from the spouse and daughter of independent MP Umesh Patel. His wife Shweta Patel, 45, had applied for Bhimpore and Magarwada seats, while their daughter Divyanshi, 23, filed for Varkund and Damanwada. Local Congress representative Prabhu Tokiya told reporters that withdrawal requests for two constituencies were ignored, and both applications were rejected anyway.

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