Loss of key seat in MP sends alarm bells ringing for BJP
As the Congress showed signs of resurgence by wresting a key MP seat from the BJP, the ruling party managed to settle scores by winning the two remaining seats in the bypolls.
As the Congress showed signs of resurgence by wresting a key MP seat from the BJP, the ruling party managed to settle scores by winning the two remaining seats in the bypolls.
Fielding a former BSP candidate from the important seat of Bahoriband paid off for the Congress. Saurabh Singh, who had contested the last assembly polls on a BSP ticket, had got a sizable vote share that worked to Congress’ advantage.
The defeat in Bahoriband is seen as a setback to chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on several counts. Of the three seats on which by-poll was held, the BJP was confident of a victory in Bahoriband the most, having won it by a big margin of 21,000 votes in 2013 assembly elections.
Leader of opposition in the state assembly Satyadev Katare said the by-poll results indicated that the Congress’ resurgence has begun in Madhya Pradesh.
“We won the Bahoriband seat despite the BJP making full use of state machinery and playing up sympathy factor too. However, the electorate of Bahoriband rejected them,” Katare said.
The BJP was hoping for a sympathy wave in favour of its candidate Pranay Pandey, whose father Prabhat Pandey’s death had necessitated the by-poll.
BJP state president Nand Kumar Singh Chauhan, however, said that by winning two (Agar and Vijayraghavgarh) out of three seats, the BJP has retained its original tally.
“The party would analyse the reasons for defeat in Bahoriband and where its calculations went wrong,” he added.
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