Mixed result for BJP in bypolls; swept Assam, lost Himachal

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The bypoll results of three Lok Sabha and 30 assembly constituencies appear to be a mixed bag for the BJP which won Assam but performed badly in Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana. BJP Himachal Pradesh unit feels that inflation is one of the reasons behind humiliating defeat in the bypolls.

In Himachal Pradesh bypolls, BJP lost all the three assembly constituencies and is trailing in one Lok Sabha seat to rival Congress. BJP and its alliance partner United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) won all the five seats in Assam. In Madhya Pradesh out of three assembly constituencies, the ruling BJP won two and Congress one.

Pointing out that BJP performed well in Assam, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana, a senior party leader said, "Where we failed to perform well is due to local issues like ticket distribution and in-fighting."

Of three Lok Sabha seats where bypolls were held on Sunday, Congress and BJP are leading in one constituency each, while which Shiv Sena has won one. In the Mandi Lok Sabha seat of Himachal Pradesh, Congress candidate Pratibha Singh, the wife of late chief minister Virbhadra Singh, is leading against BJP's Kargil war hero Brigadier (Retd) Khushal Thakur.

BJP candidate in Khandwa Lok Sabha Gyaneshwar Patil is leading. In Dadra and Nagar Haveli Lok Sabha constituency, Shiv Sena's Kalaben Mohanbhai Delkar has won the bypoll. The Congress won in by-polls of all three assembly seats in Himachal Pradesh -- Fatehpur, Jubbal-Kotkhai and Arki. In Jubbal-Kotkhai, saffron party rebel candidate Chetan Bragta, former head of party, Himachal Pradesh IT department and son of former minister of Himachal Pradesh Narendra Bragta, came second and BJP candidate Neelam Seraik was only able to secure 2,644 (4.67 per cent) from total 56,607 votes polled.

BJP Himachal Pradesh president Suresh Kumar Kashyap has told IANS that results are not up to the expectation and a detailed review will be held to find out reasons for the defeat in all the seats. "There are several reasons for our defeat and inflation is one of them. Congress has made the inflation and rising fuel price an issue and I think that it may have worked in their favour. The BJP, however, will hold a detailed review of results to find out reasons for the defeat and correct the shortcomings while preparing for next assembly polls," Kashyap said.

Kashyap admitted that Bragta has damaged the chances of BJP candidates by contesting as independent.

Reacting to Assam bypoll results, Chief Minister Himant Biswa Sarma tweeted, "In Assam, BJP and allies are all set to register emphatic win on all 5 constituencies in the byepolls by huge margins. This is a loud endorsement of people's faith in visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Grateful to Amit Shah and J.P. Nadda for your guidance."

In Haryana, INLD'S Abhay Chautala has defeated ruling BJP's Gobind Kanda by securing 43.49 per cent votes in Ellenabad assembly constituency.

In the bypolls for four assembly constituencies of West Bengal, Trinamool Congress (TMC) won all the four seats which includes two seats on which BJP had won in state assembly polls held earlier this year. Bypolls were held in four seats - Dinhata, Santipur, Khardaha and Gosaba - in West Bengal.

Dinhata and Santipur constituencies were won by the BJP in assembly polls held earlier this year.

Nisith Pramanik and Jagannath Sarkar, BJP Lok Sabha members who chose to remain in Parliament, had vacated the seats. The Khardah and Gosaba assembly seats won by TMC fell vacant after the death of the legislator.

"State machinery in West Bengal did not allow our candidates and leaders to campaign. We will analyse the results and continue to work to strengthen the party in the state with an eye on the next general election," a West Bengal BJP leader said.

Congress also won both assembly constituencies of Rajasthan where bypolls were necessitated after the death of BJP MLA from Dhariawad, Gautam Lal Meena, and Congress MLA from Vallabhnagar, Gajendra Singh Shaktawat. BJP leader losing Dhariwad is a setback for the party and denying tickets to Meena's son is one of the reasons for the defeat and Vallabhnagar is a stronghold of Congress party which they retained.

In Karnataka, BJP and Congress won one seat each. In Andhra Pradesh YSR Congress Party won the leading Badvel assembly constituency. In Telangana, BJP's candidate and former minister in state government Eatala Rajender won. In Maharashtra Deglur assembly Congress is leading.

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