UP panchayat polls: Kin of several political leaders taste defeat in Ballia

Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly and senior Samajwadi Party leader Ram Govind Chowdhury's son, Ranjit Chowdhury, lost the election for the seat of a district panchayat member here, officials said.

Kin of several other political leaders too tasted defeat in the panchayat polls in Uttar Pradesh. Over three lakh candidates were declared elected unopposed by the state poll body, shortly before the counting began on Sunday.

Ranjit Chowdhury had contested from Ward-16 here, but he came third, the officials said.

Similarly, BJP MLA Dhananjay Kanaujia's mother, Surya Kumari Devi, contested for a kshetra panchayat member seat from Ward-19 but lost.

Fromer BJP MP Harinarain Rajbhar's son, Atal Rajbhar, and SP leader and former minister Sharda Nand Anchal's grandson, Vinay Prakash Anchal, lost from wards 24 and 27, respectively, as district panchayat member candidates.

Similarly, BJP MP Neeraj Shekhar's relative, Alok Singh, lost as a Siyar kshetra panchayat member candidate, but BSP leader Ambika Chowdhury's son, Anand Chowdhury, won a district panchayat member seat from Ward-44.

The courting for the panchayat polls started on May 2 and is continuing at various places.

In a statement on Sunday, the State Election Commission (SEC) said over 1.12 lakh people have emerged victorious for the post of members of village panchayats, 16,510 have won the post of pradhan of village panchayat, while 35,812 candidates have claimed victory on the post of members of kshetra