Under scrutiny over governance issues, particularly the state of infrastructure in government schools, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma today passed the popularity test, with the BJP widening its lead over the Congress in the results of the urban local body elections.The BJP won more than 4,171 wards, while the Congress secured over 3,597, with results declared for 10,200 wards by 8 pm.In all, 10,245 councillors are to be elected across 10 municipal corporations, 51 municipal councils and 248 municipalities in the state. Polling was held on September 9 and 11.On the eve of the elections, Ashutosh Ranka of the Cockroach Janta Party had stepped up his attack on the BJP government over the poor condition of government schools. CJP leaders had also alleged that they were targeted by goons hired from outside the state when they went to inspect schools.Apart from the CJP, the Congress, led by Rahul Gandhi, had separately organised a “Chhatron ki Goonj” rally in Kota, where the BJP won the municipal corporation, securing 53 of the 100 wards today.BJP leader Sudhanshu Trivedi said the party was headed for a “spectacular victory” in Rajasthan’s 309 local bodies, alleging that the results had exposed Rahul’s “jhooth ki goonj” (lies). One vote for BJPBJP candidate Kailashchand who contested from Ward 13 of the Parbatsar municipality in Didwana-Kuchaman district polled just one vote. Congress candidate Hina Khanam won the ward with 376 votes and independent Rashid Khan secured 195 votes.The BJP won a majority in the Udaipur, Bhilwara and Kota municipal corporations and was ahead in Jaipur and Alwar.The Congress won Bikaner and was leading in Pali and Ajmer. Trivedi, however, claimed that the BJP and its allies would win almost all municipal corporations, except one.“This shows that people’s trust in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is rising and the people of Rajasthan have endorsed the policies and governance of the Bhajan Lal Sharma-led state government,” he said.Importantly, in Bharatpur, Chief Minister Sharma’s hometown, Independents won or were leading in 36 of the 65 wards, while the BJP had won 20 and the Congress seven.In Bharatpur, Jodhpur, Ajmer, Alwar and Pali, Independents are in a position to influence who becomes mayor.The Congress has secured a majority on its own only in the Bikaner Municipal Corporation.Explaining the Bharatpur results, Trivedi said the BJP had actually made gains in six districts, including Bharatpur.“In Bundi, Dausa, Hanumangarh, Karauli, Dholpur and Bharatpur, the BJP had failed to form even a single board in any local body election previously,” he said.The BJP also said its leads in Bundi, Dausa, Hanumangarh, Karauli, Dholpur and Bharatpur were evidence of its expanding social and geographical reach.“The people of Rajasthan have once again proved that Congress’s illusion and misinformation cannot stand against the truth under the leadership of PM Modi and the BJP,” Trivedi said.Congress veteran and former CM Ashok Gehlotaccused the BJP of misusing the police to forcibly install party’s mayors across corporations.“The police and district administration must ensure that such partisan actions do not take place,” said Gehlot, with the BJP framing today’s win as an endorsement of BJP’s governance approach and trajectory close on the heels of CJP-led student protests.Rajasthan Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra said the “ground beneath the BJP’s feet had been shaken” as the party’s performance declined in the strongholds of the Chief Minister, state president, Deputy Chief Ministers and former CM Vasundhara Raje.“In the stronghold of state BJP president Madan Rathore, the Congress won 29 wards against the BJP’s 21, while the BJP also lost Rathore’s ward. In Dudu-Phagi, the bastion of Deputy CM Premchand Bairwa, the Congress secured 20 wards against the BJP’s 17. In Jaipur, the turf of Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari, the Congress’s vote share stands at 37.5 per cent against the BJP’s 36.2 per cent. In Jhalawar, the area represented by Raje, the BJP has a majority in only three of the eight boards,” he said.