Congress wrests Ratlam LS seat from BJP, TRS retained in Warangal LS seat

The Congress wrests Ratlam Lok Sabha constituency from the BJP in MP while the Telangana Rashtriya Samithi (TRS) retained the Warangal Lok Sabha seat in Telangana.

In just over two weeks since the Bihar Assembly poll results, the BJP suffered another electoral loss in Ratlam Lok Sabha constituency bypoll despite campaigning extensively for its candidate Nirmala Bhuria, the daughter of the late MP from the same seat, Dilip Singh Bhuria.

Nirmala, the MLA of Petlawad, lost to Congress’s Kantilal Bhuria, a four-time MP and former Union minister, by over 88,000 votes in the reserved seat.

The BJP said the defeat was of concern although the views of its state leadership was not known.

TRS’s P Dayakar, a political novice, defeated his nearest Congress rival S Satyanarayana, a former Union minister, by a record 4.59 lakh votes.

All other candidates in the fray, including those from Congress, BJP-Telugu Desam Party combine and YSR Congress Party lost their deposits. Dayakar’s victory margin surpassed that of his colleague K Srihari, who had won by 3.97 lakh votes in the 2014 elections.

The bypoll was necessitated by Srihari’s elevation as the state’s deputy chief minister.

“The verdict clearly shows that people are behind us and are supporting our development and welfare schemes. It is a referendum on our performance so far,” the state Information Technology Minister K T Rama Rao said.

The BJP, however, retained Dewas Assembly constituency in MP

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In Dewas, Gayatri Raje Puar won against Congress’s Jai Prakash Shastri by over 30,000 votes.

The bypoll was necessitated by the demise of Gayatri’s husband Tukoji Rao Puar.

In Manipur, the BJP opened its account after its candidates  Thongam Biswajit Singh and Khumukcham Joykishan won the Thongju and Thangmeiband seats in Imphal Valley, respectively, defeating candidates of the ruling Congress.

The  by-polls were held after Speaker Th Lokeshwar Singh disqualified Trinamool Congress legislators Singh, Joykishan and Lukhoi Singh under the anti-defection law in May. However, the Manipur High Court stayed the Speaker's order on Lukhoi Singh, who represents Wangoi constituency. Biswajit and Joykishan joined the BJP.

The Congress’s Gabriel Wahlang lost to  Hill State Democratic Party’s Diostar Jyndiang by 2,763 votes in the Nongstoin Assembly bypoll.

However, Congress candidate and former Mizoram health minister Lal Thanzara won the Aizawl North-III Assembly bypoll. His nearest rival was K Vanlalvena of the Mizo National Front.

All the by-polls were held on November 21.