Author: IANS
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: October 4, 2010
URL: http://www.dailypioneer.com/287556/BJP-defeats-Cong-in-Chhattisgarh-by-poll.html
The ruling BJP pulled off an impressive victory
Monday in the Chhattisgarh assembly by-election from the Bhatgaon constitueny
in Surguja district, handing over one of the worst defeats to arch rival Congress
in recent years.
BJP candidate Rajni Tripathi won the seat
by a margin of over 35,000 votes, defeating her nearest rival, Congress candidate
U.S. Singhdeo. The poolls to the seat were held Oct 1 and there were 12 candidates
in the fray.
The seat fell vacant following the death of
the BJP's sitting legislator Ravi Shankar Tripathi, 55, in a car crash in
April and the BJP fielded his widow while the Congress picked a member of
the erstwhile royal family of Surguja as its candidate. The Bhatgaon constituency,
some 400 km north of state capital Raipur in Surguja district, recorded over
75 percent votes in peaceful polling.
Buoyed by the victory, the BJP has described
the win as the "people's approval of our development policy".
"People have reiterated faith in the
BJP and has given a thumbs-up to the party to carry on the development policy
and welfare schemes for poor and downtrodden people with more committment,"
Chief Minister Raman Singh said as he reacted to the party's success.
The Congress, which had high hopes from the
by-election, did not have much to say after the defeat.
State party president Dhanendra Sahu said:
"We will analyse in detail as to what went wrong."
With the impressive victory, the BJP's strength
in the 90-member state assembly has risen to 48 while the Congress remains
on 39. The BSP has two members.
The by-election to the Balod assembly constituency
in Durg district is set to be held soon following the death of the BJP's sitting
legislator Madanlal Sahu in August.
