Shimla, May 31 -- Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukvinder Singh Sukhu on Sunday rejected the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) claims of a sweeping victory in the recently concluded urban local body elections, asserting that the Congress had emerged as the leading party by winning 29 out of 53 Municipal Corporation, Municipal Council and Nagar Panchayat contests across the state.

Addressing a press conference in Shimla, Sukhu said the BJP's attempts to portray the results as a mandate against the Congress government were "misleading" and not supported by the actual figures.

"Out of 53 urban local body elections, Congress has won 29, BJP has won 21 and three bodies have returned a hung verdict. These are the facts. BJP's claims of a major...