The ruling Congress in Uttarakhand on Saturday suffered a setback when its candidate and Chief Minister Vijay Bahugunas son Saket lost to BJPs Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah in the prestigious Tehri Lok Sabha bypoll by an emphatic margin.
The BJP nominee won by a margin of 22,431 votes,polling 24,52,92 votes while the Congress candidate secured 22,28,61 votes in the bypoll held on October 10,chief electoral officer Radha Raturi said.
As counting progressed,BJPs lead surged,with the party taking a decisive edge in Dehradun,where Shah forged ahead by miles against Saket in six out of the seven assembly segments in the district.
Immediately after the win,BJP workers thronged the streets,distributing sweets,bursting firecrackers and raising slogans against price rise and the cap on subsidised LPG the oppositions major poll planks.
The seat had been vacated by Vijay Bahuguna after he became CM.