"The victory of Congress in Bahoriband is in reality the defeat of the Chief Minister," an upbeat Katare told reporters here.
It is also the victory of the large number of Congress workers and its candidate Sourabh Singh who toiled hard to ensure BJP's defeat in the by-poll, he said.
However, he said the party was expecting to win even the Vijayraghavgarh seat where it lost.
BJP won two seats, Vijayraghavgarh and Agar, while Congress bagged Bahoriband, the by-polls for which were held on August 21 and the results announced yesterday.
The victory in Bahoriband would boost the morale of Congress, which has been out of power in the state since 2003.
BJP had left no stone unturned in the run up to the election to ensure victory in Bahoriband and even ensured that former Congress MLA Nishith Patel from the same seat had joined the saffron party.
The Bahoriband by-poll was necessitated after sitting BJP MLA Prabhat Pandey, who won the election in 2013, died.
The BJP had fielded his son Pranav from the seat to cash-in on sympathy votes, but it proved futile.
You’ve hit your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Access to Exclusive Premium Stories Online
Over 30 behind the paywall stories daily, handpicked by our editors for subscribers


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app