In a big relief, BJP candidate Ashwini L. Jagtap has won the bypoll to the Chinchwad Assembly seat on the outskirts of Pune, the results of which were announced here on Thursday.
She trounced her nearest Nationalist Congress Party-Maha Vikas Aghadi rival Vithal 'Nana' Kate and Shiv Sena (UBT) rebel Rahul Kalate who contested as an Independent.
As the ruling DMK-backed Congress nominee took a virtually unassailable lead in the Erode East bypoll, the party president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday said the good show was a public endorsement of the "Dravidian model of governance" of his 22-month old government.
Counting of votes polled on February 27 was on in Erode East constituency and Congress' EVKS Elangovan was comfortably leading against his nearest rival, KS Thennarasu of the AIADMK. At the end of eight rounds of counting, Elangovan secured 61,125 votes and was leading by over 38,000 votes. With the "historic and grand win", the ground was being prepared for an even bigger victory of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Stalin told reporters here amidst emerging trends indicating at Elangovan's victory.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday described the victory of the Congress at Sagardighi by-elections as "immoral", alleging that the grand old party, besides the CPI(M), had entered into an understanding with the BJP to defeat the Trinamool Congress.
Addressing a press meet, Banerjee said that her party will go it alone in the 2024 elections, "with the support of common people".
"For the Sagardighi loss, I do not blame anyone. Sometimes, in a democracy, developments may usually be positive or negative. But, there is an immoral alliance, which we strongly condemn. The BJP transferred its votes to the Congress," Banerjee told reporters here.