Shimla, June 4 -- Claiming sweeping victory in the recent panchayat and urban bodies polls, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday hit out at Congress and demanded resignation of chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, alleging widespread public dissatisfaction with the government. Meanwhile, Congress has termed it as BJP's desperation of power. While talking to HT, BJP Himachal Pradesh media in-charge Randhir Sharma said, "The people of Himachal Pradesh have withdrawn their confidence from the Congress government. Having lost the semi-final, the chief minister should resign on moral grounds and seek a fresh mandate from the people." he said. He said Congress's leaders said the civic bodies polls were "semi-final" before the next assembly elections and the results are reflecting widespread public dissatisfaction with the state government. Claiming that BJP also performed strongly in municipal councils and nagar panchayats, Sharma says the party has secured a majority in 12 of the 22 municipal councils and in 18 of the 25 nagar panchayats, where elections were held. He further accused Congress of attempting to distance itself from the results of panchayati raj elections despite having fielded and supported candidates in several districts. Sharma claimed that out of 250 zila parishad, BJP-supported candidates won 144 seats, while Congress was restricted to around 60 seats. He further said that many of the independents elected were ideologically aligned with the BJP. "In Bilaspur, Congress failed to open its account. In Hamirpur, Sirmaur and several other districts, the party suffered a humiliating defeat," he said. While the BJP BJP-backed candidates won 1,199 Panchayat Samiti (BDC) seats across the state, the spokesperson said, Congress got only 477 seats. Accusing the state government of making contradictory statements on poll outcome, Sharma said, "Congress leaders initially claimed panchayati raj elections were not fought on party lines but later attempted to take credit for victories." Targeting the party over factionalism rumours, Sharma said, "Even the deputy CM admitted that factionalism exists within Congress. The CM should focus on his own house instead of making misleading statements about the BJP," Sharma said. Labelling it as saffron party's desperation of power, chief minister's principal media advisor Naresh Chauhan said, "It simply shows BJP's desperation for power. We are an elected government and the public has given us mandate twice. BJP has been trying for long to topple the government but every time their attempt has bee defeated by the people."...