Madhya Pradesh local body elections: BJP wins 25 posts of president; Congress improves tally, bags 15

Bhopal: Continuing its winning streak, the Bharatiya Janata Party​ (BJP) on Wednesday won 25 out of the 43 posts of president in the local body elections in Madhya Pradesh.

The Opposition Congress-backed candidates won at 15 places, while Independents bagged three posts.

The previous tally was 26 and 8 for BJP and Congress, respectively.

MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan credited party's victory to their agenda of development and promised to meet people's expectations. 

BJP has won the municipal polls convincingly. People have entrusted faith in the leadership of CM @ChouhanShivraj #BJPWinsMP

— BJP MadhyaPradesh (@BJP4MP) August 16, 2017

.@BJP4MP के सभी विजयी प्रत्याशियों व जुझारु कार्यकर्ताओं को नगरीय निकाय चुनावों में मिली भारी जीत पर हार्दिक शुभकामनाएँ। #BJPWinsMP — ShivrajSingh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) August 16, 2017

प्रदेश के नगरीय निकाय चुनावों में @BJP4MP को मिली जीत विकास की जीत है। जनता ने हमें जनमत सौंपा है, हम उनकी आशाओं पर अवश्य ही खरे उतरेंगे। — ShivrajSingh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) August 16, 2017

प्रधानमंत्री @narendramodi, पार्टी अध्यक्ष @AmitShah एवं प्रदेश अध्यक्ष @NandKumarSinghC के नेतृत्व में विकास की नई बयार बहेगी। #BJPWinsMP — ShivrajSingh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) August 16, 2017

However, the BJP lost three seats of councilors in the bypoll held in two Nagar Parishads in Mandsaur district which had seen massive protests by farmers recently. The Congress won all the three seats. 

Voting had taken place in two wards of Shamgar Nagar Panchayat and one ward of Garoth panchayat.

Mandsaur is part of Malwa which is a RSS stronghold. 

MP Congress committee president Arun Yadav described the outcome of the results as satisfactory and said that it proved that people had voted for change. 

The party has been out of power in the state since 2003. 

The people of Madhya Pradesh have spoken. Congress wins 3 seats in Mandsaur. pic.twitter.com/oWwNPdG5s9— Congress (@INCIndia) August 16, 2017

मै प्रदेश के नगरीय निकाय चुनावों के परिणामों के लिए मतदाताओं का आभार प्रकट करता ह
इस जीत का श्रेय सभी कर्मठ कार्यकर्ताओं को देता  — Arun Yadav (@MPArunYadav) August 16, 2017

Civic elections were held on August 11 and over eight lakh voters had exercised their franchise.