Ahmedabad, June 5: The main leading and ruling party of Gujarat had won in all six constituencies – two Lok Sabha seats and four assembly seats where by-election were held on Sunday.
Bharatiya Janata Party had fought the elections under the leadership of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and the victory will be seen as a major boost for him. Narendra Modi is serving his fourth term as chief minister after winning assembly elections in December of 2012 and is also a top contender for prime minister in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in the event that the BJP forms the government.
In Gujarat legislative assembly of 182 members, BJP has 119 MLAs, the Congress has 53, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Gujarat Parivartan Party(GPP) have 2-2 each, Janata Dal (United) has 1 and there’s one Independent MLA.
Narendra Modi said on social networking site Twitter, “BJP has won two Lok Sabha seats with thumping majority. This indicates how people have lost trust in the Centre and wants a change desperately.”
He also said that the people of Gujarat won’t abandon development for negative politics.
The by-election were necessitated by either due to the death of sitting members or resignations. It was considered to be a test for the Congress, which is the main opposition party in the state. All the six seats had been won by the Congress in the last election.
The by-elections were held at the Porbandar and Banaskantha parliamentary constituencies and the assembly seats of Jetpur, Dhoraji, Limbdi and Morva Hadaf.
According to Election Commission Officials, Counting began on Wednesday morning and the winners were declared by noon. Eighteen candidates were in fight for the four assembly seats and 15 for the two Lok Sabha seats.
In the Porbandar Lok Sabha seat and the Jetpur assembly seat, the BJP’s candidates were Vitthal Radadia and his son Jayesh, respectively, both of whom defected from the Congress and joined the BJP. Radadia beat Vinu Amipara of the Congress.
Bureau Report
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