Bidar: Congress is leading and the Janata Dal (Secular) is trailing in the zilla and taluk panchayat polls in Bidar district, when the initial trends came in on Tuesday.

Candidates of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) made unexpected gains that surprised their own party leaders. Results were available for 28 of the 31 zilla panchayat seats by evening. Of them, Congress was ahead by winning 14 seats, Janata Dal (S) 6, BJP 5, and All-India Progressive Janata Dal (AIPJD) and BSP one seat each.

In Bhalki, the Congress is leading with two, BJP and Janata Dal (S) with one seat each. In Aurad, BJP is ahead in four of the six seats. In Basavakalyan, the Congress is ahead by capturing five of the seven seats. In Humnabad, Congress is in the lead by winning four of the six seats. In Bidar, BJP is ahead in one, Janata Dal (S) in two, AIPJD and Congress in one seat each. Among the 117 taluk panchayat seats, leads were available for 62 seats. Leads and results from Bhalki were the first to arrive. Of the 23 taluk panchayat seats in Bhalki, Congress won 13, BJP four and an independent won one seat.

Tension

Counting of votes in the zilla and taluk panchayat polls went off peacefully here on Tuesday.

Tension prevailed in Bhalki for some time after Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party leaders picked up a fight at the counting centre. It started when a Congress candidate got 38 votes more than the BJP candidate for the Inchur Taluk Panchayat seat. Prakash Khandre, BJP district president, alleged that the counting officials had made a mistake and sought a recount. Congress leader Ishwar Khandre alleged the BJP was raising a non-issue. After a detailed verification, it was found that everything was in order. Returning Officer G.C. Prakash pacified the two parties.

Another fight erupted between leaders of the Congress and the Janata Dal (S) when the former objected to the latter's candidate winning the Dadgi Taluk Panchayat seat.

A recount showed that the Janata Dal (S) candidate won by four seats.

Allegations

In Bidar, the AIPJD nominee from the Manhalli Zilla Panchayat seat Amrit Chimkod alleged that all the counting officials are conspiring against him. He told presspersons he will lodge a complaint in this regard with the State Election Commission.

Mr. Chimkod, who was arrested on charges of booth capturing and violently disrupting the poll process, has been released on bail.

The SEC had ordered re-poll in three booths in Manhalli constituency after the presiding officer complained that Mr. Chimkod and his supporters had stopped polling in these booths. According to the presiding officer's complaint, the AIPJD leader and his followers had tried to capture the booth, scared away voters, burnt ballots and thrown the ballot boxes in the gutter.

Deputy Commissioner and District Electoral Officer Munish Moudgil, however, denied the allegations and said the whole counting process is being carried out in accordance with the SEC rules and regulations.

Counting started began in the five taluks in the morning. Strict security arrangements were made. In the initial round, officials counted the total votes cast in each booth in each taluk.

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