Bypoll blues continue to haunt BJP in Uttar Pradesh

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No doubt, the BJP’s biggest shock came in Kairana, where RLD candidate Tabassum Hasan, who was backed by the SP and Congress and tacitly supported by the BSP, defeated BJP’s Mriganka Singh by 44,618 votes. Singh, the daughter of late BJP leader Hukum Singh, whose death in February necessitated the bye-election, said the alliance had emerged strong. “Many voters did vote for BJP but with a lead of some thousand votes, the alliance has won. I would like to congratulate the candidate. The alliance has emerged strong and now we have to prepare better for future,” Singh said.

A closer look at the Kairana constituency, which shot into limelight after late MP Hukum Singh had raised the issue of Hindu exodus from the area last year, will show that caste arithmetic was always in the favour of the opposition. The Lok Sabha seat has some 16 lakh voters, which includes an estimated 5.5 lakh Muslims and 1.5 lakh Jats. That, plus 2.5 lakh Dalits (mostly Jatavs, who traditionally vote for BSP), was always going to side with the RLD. The BJP had wrested Kairana in 2014 only because the non-BJP vote bank was divided.

Kairana has some 16 lakh voters, which includes an estimated 5.5 lakh Muslims and 1.5 lakh Jats. (File)

An elated Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said people had given a befitting reply to the BJP and seen through the prism of its divisive politics. “This is a defeat for those who do not believe in democracy and play divisive politics. People have given a befitting reply to the BJP,” he said. Tabassum Hasan expressed hope that the result would lead to the coming together and further cementing of opposition ranks.

On the other hand, RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary said that the united opposition had succeeded in halting the “chariot of hate” of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh. “We had said earlier that in the contest between ‘ganna’ (sugarcane) and Jinnah, ganna would win. Jinnah and danga (communal riot) have been defeated and ganna has won. We see that the real issues, that of the the farmers, development and the youth have dominated,” Chaudhary, the son of former Union Minister Ajit Singh, said.

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Along with Kairana, BJP also suffered the ignominy of losing the Bhandara-Gondiya constituency, where NCP’s Madhukar Kukde won by over 45,000 votes. However, the real winner was former BJP MP Nana Patole, who left the saffron party earlier this year, nessacitating the bye-election. Patole, who has now joined the Congress, had openly assailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s authoritarian style of functioning.

Addressing a press conference later in the day, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said the party might move court if its complaint on anomalies during the counting process was rejected. (PTI)

BJP’s win in Palghar was significant in more ways than one and came amid much drama on Thursday. Firstly, it managed to see off the threat from its ally Shiv Sena and secondly, it managed to consolidate itself among the influential North Indian community there. BJP’s Rajendra Gavit defeated Shriniwas Wanga of Shiv Sena, the son of sitting MP Chintaman Vanga, whose death in January had necessitated the bypoll. However, hours after BJP retained the seat, Shiv Sena shot off a letter to the Election Commission, alleging discrepancies in the counting of votes and demanding a recount, only to be rejected by the poll watchdog.

The Shiv Sena complaint to Election Commission.

Addressing a press conference later in the day, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said the party might move court if its complaint on anomalies during the counting process was rejected. Launching a stinging attack on BJP, Thackeray said the saffron party had lost more seats in the bypolls than it had won. “Though Sena lost Palghar bypoll, I refused to accept defeat. We had just 15 days to prepare for the bypolls. I am surprised how votes in Palghar increased overnight,” he said.

BJP also suffered the ignominy of losing the Bhandara-Gondiya constituency, where NCP’s Madhukar Kukde (left) won by over 45,000 votes. (Express photo)

Training his guns on Yogi Adityanath, who campaigned in Palghar, Thackeray said the Uttar Pradesh CM was losing elections in his own state but was addressing rallies here. “Yogi Adityanath had insulted Shivaji but BJP didn’t apologise. The bypoll results have hurt Yogi’s pride. The UP CM is losing (polls) in his own state, but is campaigning here,” the Shiv Sena leader said. Not mincing any words, Thackeray also said the elections had raised many questions on EVMs and demanded re-election of the Election Commission chairman. He also asked opposition parties to “unitedly boycott” elections if controversies surrounding EVMs were not resolved quickly

Coming to the eastern region, Tokheho Yepthomi, fielded by the ruling People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA), defeated his lone rival of the opposition NPF by over 1.73 lakh votes. NPF was backed by the Congress.

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