Shimla, June 2 -- After winning the three municipal corporations, Solan, Dharmashala and Mandi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claimed to have swept the zila parishad elections as well in the state forcing the Congress to "introspect and review". A war of words has erupted between Congress and BJP as both the parties claim "public support" and accuse each other of "misleading" people as the elections of panchayats and zila parishads were not contested on party symbols. Though BJP had released an official list of candidates for zila parishad. Out of a total of 250 District Council wards, BJP said that BJP-backed candidates secured victory in 136 of them. The Congress party has lagged behind in the District Council results, winning 52 wards. Additionally, 43 independent candidates have emerged victorious. State Congress president Vinay Kumar said in the recently concluded elections for urban local bodies and Panchayati Raj institutions in the state, the Congress party has reaffirmed its strong political standing by securing widespread public support. "The party organisation would seriously analyse the results of the municipal corporation elections to further strengthen the organization at the grassroots level in the future," said Vinay. Even the Public Works Department Minister, Vikramaditya Singh said, "The BJP has secured a majority and we will certainly analyse the reasons behind the results. At the same time, Congress has performed well in the Panchayati Raj elections at every level, whether it is Zila Parishads, Panchayat Samitis or Gram Panchayats." BJP state chief spokesperson and MLA Rakesh Jamwal said, "BJP won the semi-final and we will win the final as Congress will face defeat in 2027. BJP has emerged victorious and the momentum clearly indicates a decisive mandate in favour of the party in the upcoming Assembly elections". In a sharp attack on chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Jamwal said, "After the results of the Panchayati Raj Institutions and Urban Local Body elections, the Chief Minister has been making continuous attempts to mislead the people of Himachal Pradesh. The election results have exposed the ground reality of the Congress government, and the Chief Minister's statements reflect political frustration and insecurity". Former CM and Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur said, "The Congress has suffered a historic defeat. From the CM down to the Deputy Chief Minister and other cabinet ministers, Congress leaders were rejected by the public even within their own respective constituencies, panchayats, and local areas". "Instead of engaging in conspiracies, the government should make decisions that serve the public interest. It must ensure that the financial assistance being dispatched by the Central Government reaches the intended beneficiaries," said Thakur. Khush Vikram Sen-the Raja of the erstwhile Keonthal princely state - has secured a resounding victory. BJP supported Khush Vikram Sen defeated his nearest rival, Bhupendra Kanwar, who was supported by Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Anirudh Singh in Zila Parishad Chamiyana Ward. Kush won by a massive margin of 9,981 votes. Significantly, Chamiyana Ward is the very constituency where Anirudh Singh-currently the Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj in the Sukhu government-first rose to political prominence after winning his maiden Zila Parishad elections. Khush Vikram Sen is the heir to the erstwhile Keonthal princely state-specifically, the royal lineage of Junga. 29-year-old Khush Vikram Sen is the son of the late Veer Vikram Sen. He is the cousin of the state's Public Works Minister, Vikramaditya Singh. Paras Ram -who used to serve tea in BJP's Mandi office is now the Zila Parishad member from the Sadyana Ward in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district. Paras Ram secured a total of 7,031 votes, the Congress-backed candidate, Dharmendra Kumar, had to settle for a mere 5,615 votes. By defeating his main rival, Dharmendra Kumar, by a massive margin of 1,416 votes....