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New Delhi: The
Congress scored crucial victories in BJP-ruled Karnataka and
Gujarat as well as in Kerala, but lost in all the seven assembly
by-polls in party-ruled Andhra Pradesh, while the respective
ruling parties in Tamil Nadu and Odisha registered emphatic wins
in by-elections across six states.
The Congress scored morale-boosting victories in Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP)-ruled Gujarat and Karnataka in the results of by-polls
announced Wednesday. In Gujarat, which will face assembly polls
later this year, Congress snatched Mansa assembly seat from the
BJP.
Congress candidate Babuji Thakore defeated BJP's D.D. Patel in the
constituency which has been won by BJP since 1995. Though the term
of the MLA from this seat will be just about eight months, the
election was made a prestige issue by both the Congress and BJP.
The Congress wrested Udupi-Chikmagalur Lok Sabha seat in Karnataka
from the scandal-hit ruling BJP, adding to the woes of Chief
Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda.
Congress nominee K. Jayaprakash Hegde, who had lost to Gowda in
the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, defeated the BJP's V. Sunil Kumar by
over 45,000 votes in the bypoll held March 18.
The bypoll followed Gowda vacating the seat after becoming chief
minister Aug 4 last year, replacing corruption-scarred party
colleague B.S. Yeddyurappa.
The Congress faced a major setback in Andhra Pradesh as it was
defeated in all seven assembly seats.
Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) bagged four assembly seats while
YSR Congress, BJP and an independent won one seat each.
Of the seven assembly seats, six are in Telangana region.
Congress's poor performance in the bypolls in the state is likely
to revive the demand for statehood for Telangana with its own
leaders Wednesday blaming "lack of clarity" in the party's stance
on Telangana for its debacle.
Party's Rajya Sabha MP from Congress K. Keshav Rao told reporters
outside parliament that the parties which supported demand for
Telangana won while the Congress "could not give clarity on
Telangana".
Kerala's ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) won the Piravom
assembly by-election with Anup Jacob defeating his Communist Party
of India-Marxist (CPI-M) rival M.J. Jacob by more than 12,000
votes.
It was sweet victory for Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy who
had declared before the polls that the verdict would be like a
referendum on the performance of his nine-month-old government.
With the Piravom victory, the UDF tally in the 140-member Kerala
assembly has gone up to 72.
Odisha's ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) won the Athagarh assembly
by-election defeating the Congress by over 47,000 votes.
Former sports minister Ranendra Pratap Swain got 87,604 votes
while Congress' Suresh Mohapatra trailed with 40,214. Swain had
represented the same constituency for four consecutive terms, from
1990 to 2009.
V. Muthuselvi of the ruling AIADMK was elected to the Tamil Nadu
assembly from Sankarankoil constituency, defeating her DMK rival
by over 68,000 votes.
Muthuselvi bagged 94,927 votes. The seat has been retained by
AIADMK.
The Congress was elated about victories in three states but
worried about the outcome in Andhra Pradesh.
Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi said the results were "good" for
the party in three states but admitted that the party faced a
"serious political situation" in Andhra Pradesh.
Referring to the outcome in Gujarat, Alvi said the by-poll outcome
marked a new trend. "People have indicated their choice (against
Narendra Modi government)," he said.
BJP's Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the defeat in by-polls in Gujarat
and Karnataka was not a setback for the party.
"We will evaluate and perform better in these seats in the next
elections," Naqvi told IANS.
He said the BJP had won the Mahbubnagar seat in Andhra Pradesh.
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