BJP registers win in three seats in northeast, CPI(M) takes away two

Both the seats in Assam and the solitary seat in Arunachal Pradesh went to BJP's kitty whereas the two seats from Tripura were won by CPI(M)

The bypoll results came as a morale booster for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Northeast. Out of the five seats that went to polls on November 19, three have been won by the BJP and the rest two went to Communist Party of India (Marxist) kitty.  

BJP registered win in both the constituencies that went for by-poll on November 19 in Assam – the Lakhimpur Lok Sabha constituency and Baithalangso assembly constituency. 

Whereas BJP retained the Lakhimpur seat, the Batihalangso seat was an addition to its tally in the state. Lakhimpur seat was won by Sarbananda Sonowal in 2014 but he had to vacate it after he became the state’s chief minister. Pradan Baruah, who was an MLA till now, was given ticket by the BJP to contest the Lakhimpur seat. He won the seat by a margin of around 2 lakh votes. The total number of votes polled by him was 5,51,663, (54.88%) whereas his nearest rival Hema Hari Prasanna Pegu of the Congress polled 3,61,444 (35.96%). 

 

By-poll in Baithalangso seat was necessitated after Congress’ MLA Mansing Rongpi resigned after he deserted the party and joined the BJP. Rongpi too won handsomely by polling 72,160 votes (53.77%) against his nearest rival Ruponsing Ronghang of Congress who got 55,560 (41.4%). With Baithalangso seat coming to BJP’s kitty, the tally of the party in the 126-member state assembly will go up to 61.   

“The wins show people have reposed faith and support on the BJP government. It further bolsters the party’s determination to work for the state’s and country’s betterment,” said Himanta Biswa Sarma, a cabinet minister in the Assam government and also an important organisational man for the BJP in Northeast.   

The BJP also registered a win in Arunachal Pradesh by winning the Hayuliang assembly seat. Dasanglu Pul of BJP won the seat. She polled 5,326 votes against Independent candidate Yompi Kri who polled 4,384 votes. Bypoll had to be conducted in Hayuliang seat after former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Kalikho Pul allegedly committed suicide. Dasanglu Pul is wife of Kalikho Pul.  

In Tripura, both the two seats where by-polls were held, Khowai and Barjala, have been won by Communist Party of India (Marxist). Biswajit Datta and Jhumu Sarkar won the two seats respectively.