Guwahati, June 25: He has always believed in regional politics but maintained relations with all sections of people irrespective of their affiliations.

This belief paid off big time for Balendra Bharali, the lone AGP candidate to have won in the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) elections, the results of which were declared yesterday.

Bharali, an AGP member since its inception in 1985, today attributed his victory to his long personal connect with the residents living in ward 12.

“I have never behaved like a politician and maintained relations with everyone. I hope this clicked for me. I will continue to work for the people. Numbers don’t matter,” Bharali told The Telegraph today.

Bharali defeated his closest Congress rival Tultul Deka by a margin of 2,197 votes. Bharali, 62, had taken voluntary retirement from the central public works department in 1990, contested the GMC poll in 1995 and got elected.

He became the city’s deputy mayor in 1996-97 but lost in the 2003 election against Congress candidate Kushal Sarma.

“In 2003, I lost because I had to change my ward (37) and contest from ward 38. Though I lost the election, I have always stood for the people in our area and tried to take up their problems with the government agencies. Eighty per cent of the voters in my ward live in the hills and it was because of my initiative that roads to the hilly Krishna Nagar, Amiyo Nagar and Rudra Nagar were constructed,” he said.

“There is a lot to be done. Once the new council is formed, I will continue my initiative to sanction funds from GMC and address the problem of lights, drinking water and roads,” Bharali said.

Asked if it would be a challenge for him since he is the lone AGP councillor, Bharali said, “I don’t think so. I have a long experience in the GMC and I know how it functions.”

On the party’s poor show in the GMC election, he said, “Being a veteran member of the party, I think all members should try to maintain constant relations with the people around.”

Voters in Bharali’s ward also felt that people voted looking at the candidate and not at the party. “He always keeps in touch, even with non-AGP supporters,” said a resident of Nizarapar, Ranjit Sarma.