BJP wins bypolls in Delhi, HP, MP, Assam

NEW DELHI: BJP on Thursday won five of the 10 assembly bypolls across eight states while Congress won three and Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) retained one seat each. Given the general expectations of ruling parties bagging bypolls to assembly seats, the results of bypolls across eight states appeared a mixed bag for ruling parties.

In fact, the ruling parties in Delhi (Aam Aadmi Party), Himachal Pradesh (Congress) and Jharkhand (BJP) suffered a setback at the hands of their principle rivals in the state. However, the ruling parties – BJP in Rajasthan & Assam, Congress in Karnataka, and TMC in West Bengal – won on expected lines while BJP in Madhya Pradesh won one and lost one assembly segment.

Apart from this broad trend, the result appeared a huge setback for AAP in Delhi where it lost its deposit. The setback appeared alarming as it came in the run up to elections to municipal polls later this month.


Despite BJP’s drubbing in party ruled Jharkhand and inability to defeat incumbent Congress in Karnataka, the bypoll results appeared a sweet deal for the saffron party in the wake of its comprehensive victory over AAP and Congress in Delhi as well as BJP’s emergence as the runner up in the Kanthi South seat in West Bengal relegating the Left and Congress behind by huge margins.

The BJP polled over 30% votes in Kanthi South as against about 10%votes polled by the CPI while Congress polled less than two per cent polls. BJP’s second place performance in West Bengal appeared fresh reminder for saffron party’s rising strength in the state. The BJP leadership cheered the bypoll results today.

“Impressive performance by @BJP4India and NDA in the by— polls in different parts of the country. Congratulations to Karyakartas”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a tweet on Thursday.

BJP Bags Dholpur Seat

BJP has won Dholpur by-election, with its candidate Shobha Rani Kushwah defeating her nearest rival of Congress Banwari Lal Sharma with a record margin of 38,678 votes. With this win, the BJP’s tally increased to 161 in the Assembly of 200. Shobha Rani got 91,548 votes against Sharma’s 52,875.

Congress Wins Ater, BJP Bandhavgarh

Congress’ Hemant Katare has won the Ater seat in MP defeating his nearest rival Arvind Singh Bhadoria of BJP by 857 votes. In Bandhavgarh, BJP’s Shivnarayan Singh defeating Savitri Singh of Congress by 25,476 votes.- PTI

BJP’s Pegu Wins Dhemaji in Assam

BJP has retained the Dhemaji seat with its candidate Ranoj Pegu Babul Sonowal of the Congress by a margin of over 9,000 votes. While Pegu polled 75,217 votes, Sonowal garnered 65,932 votes, the Election Commission website showed.—PTI