Elections 2014: BJP's Narinder Thakur wins assembly by-elections from Sujanpur

SHIMLA: BJP candidate Narinder Thakur, who rejoined the party on the eve of Lok Sabha polls and was given ticket from Sujanpur Assembly seat today wrested the seat defeating Congress candidate Anita Rana by a slender margin of 538 votes.

Thakur, who faced six defeats in the past including one in Lok Sabha polls, won the election riding on the Modi wave.

Sujanpur seat was vacated by Independent MLA Rajinder Singh Rana, who joined Congress and contested the Lok Sabha poll from Hamirpur. His wife Anita Rana was given the Congress ticket from his seat.

Anita was leading in ten rounds but her lead started lowering in the last leg and she lost by 538 Votes.

Rana emerged as big loser as he lost his assembly seat, failed to win the Lok Sabha polls and his wife also failed to retain the seat vacated by her husband.

With this, the strength of BJP has increased to 27 in the 68-member state assembly while the number of Independents has come down to five.