A good day for the BLOC(K) parties

Uttarakhand Congress President Karan Mahara celebrates with party workers after party’s victory in the State Assembly by-elections, in Dehradun, Saturday. Pic/PTI

In a boost to the INDIA bloc, its constituents won 10 of the 13 assembly seats where by-elections were held in seven states, while the BJP managed to bag two and an Independent pocketed one seat as votes were counted on Saturday. The Congress won four seats - two in BJP-ruled Uttarakhand and two in Himachal Pradesh. The TMC bagged all the four seats in West Bengal while the AAP won the Jalandhar West seat in Punjab and the DMK emerged victorious in the Vikravandi constituency in Tamil Nadu.

The BJP won the Hamirpur seat in Himachal Pradesh while Independent candidate Shankar Singh clinched the Rupauli seat in Bihar. Voting was held in these seats on July 10. The Congress hailed the results, saying they "reflect the changing political climate in the country" and it has now become clear that the web of "fear and illusion woven by the BJP has been broken". West Bengal chief minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee thanked the people and said the party will dedicate win to the "martyrs" on its July 21 Martyrs' Day rally.

Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin referred to the INDIA bloc's good show and said BJP should learn lessons from its defeats. "BJP must realise that without respecting regional sentiments it cannot run the government and the party," he said. He described his party's victory as people's "thanksgiving" to DMK regime's welfare schemes. Hailing the victory in Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said the people have reposed their faith in the BJP government's "guarantee of trust".

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