BJP, Trinamool win key by-elections

Wednesday 23rd November 2016 06:27 EST
 
 

The Bharatiya Janta Party and Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress won crucial by-elections, with BJP gloating over the support they received despite the demonetisation move. The BJP scored impressive in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, bringing major relief amid concern. The national party retained the Lok Sabha and assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh, however, its winning margin for the Lok Sabha seat was down from nearly 250,000 to 60,000 despite a 5 per cent increase in voter turnout.

In Assam, the BJP retained the parliament seat vacated by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and gained an assembly seat. Union Minister Ananth Kumar said the victory proves that "the people of India are with Narendra Modi" as the opposition has united in parliament to suggest the opposite, claiming that there is public outrage over the cash crunch. Following the results, Modi tweeted, "I thank people for the continued faith in BJP and in the BJP's unwavering focus on development and good governance."

In Arunachal Pradesh, Desingu Pul, wife of former chief minister Kalikho Pul, won his assembly seat as a BJP candidate. The BJP backs the state government after Chief Minister Pema Khandu broke away from the Congress. In West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress retained two Lok Sabha seats and one assembly seat, winning all three by-elections in the state. Banerjee said, "People have revolted. This is symbolic, it is a vote against demonetisation. In a democracy, people vent their anger through votes."

In Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's AIADMK retained all three seats that were decided. Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy of the Congress has won the Nellithope Assembly seat. Narayanasamy is a Lok Sabha lawmaker and needed to become a member of the state assembly within six months of being sworn in as Chief Minister in May. Tripura's ruling CPM has won both assembly seats for which by-elections were held, retaining one and wresting the other from the Congress, which fared very poorly in both.


comments powered by Disqus



to the free, weekly Asian Voice email newsletter