Assembly bypolls: Samajwadi Party, Congress suffer setbacks, most ruling parties win

Our Political Bureau/PTI

NEW DELHI: Ruling parties, SP in Uttar Pradesh and Congress in Karnataka and Bihar, suffered setbacks but the NDA that rules Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Punjab and the CPM in Tripura and TRS in Telangana were victorious when results of assembly by-polls were declared on Tuesday.

In UP, the BJP wrested the Muzaffarnagar seat from the Samajwadi Party, which also lost the Deoband seat to the Congress in two of the three by-elections in the state. The SP managed to retain the Bikapur seat. BJP’s Kapil Dev Agarwal won the Muzffarnagar seat, while Mavia Ali of Congress won the Deoband seat and SP’s Anand Sen Yadav won the Bikapur seat.

The Grand Secular Alliance in Bihar lost the Harlakhi assembly bypoll to BJP ally Rashtriya Lok Samata Party. The secular alliance suffered a jolt just three months after its stupendous victory in the assembly elections. Union minister Upendra Kushwaha-led RLSP candidate Sudhansu Sekhar rid on a sympathy wave defeating his Congress rival Mohammad Shabir by 18,650 votes. Sudhansu Sekhar’s father Basant Kushwaha had died a day before oath taking in November last year.

In a setback to chief minister Siddaramaiah, Congress could win only one out of the three seats in Karnataka. BJP retained Hebbal in Bengaluru and wrested Devadurga in Raichur from the Congress which snatched Bidar from its archrival. Home Minister and state Congress chief G Parameshwara said the Congress would introspect about its loss in two seats. "We aimed to win all the three but expected at least two but the outcome is not that way. We will introspect and find reasons about loss in two seats," he said.