)
Bharatiya Janta Party's (BJP) clean sweep in the by-polls held in two parliamentary constituencies and four assembly seats of Gujarat, all held by Congress party, is likely to give boost to Chief Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the 2014 general elections.
With this victory BJP in Gujarat has not only increased its strength in state assembly from 115 to 119, it has also increased its count in Lok Sabha from 15 to 17.
"Heartfelt gratitude to people of Guj for reposing faith in the BJP yet again. These victories clearly show people are fed up with Congress," Modi wrote on his Twitter account. "BJP has won 2 Lok Sabha seats with thumping majority. This indicates how people have lost trust in the Centre & want change desperately!," Modi said.
"BJP wins all 6 by elections held in Gujarat. All 6 seats were earlier with Congress. Congrats to the Karyakartas & the winning candidates," he said. "People of Gujarat will not leave path of development for negative politics. The resounding win of the 4 Assembly seats reaffirms this!" he added.
Former Congress MLA Vithal Radadiya who had early this year joined BJP, won from Porbander Lok Sabha seat with a huge margin of over 1.34 lakh votes defeating nearest rival Vinu Ampara of Congress. Radadiya has been involved in controversy for brandishing a gun at a toll-booth personnel last year. The case is still pending.
For Banasknatha Lok Sabha seat BJP had fielded Hari Chaudhary who won by a margin of over 71,000 votes against Congress's Krishna Gadhvi, wife of deceased Congress MLA Mukesh Gadhvi.
In the by-polls held in assembly constituencies too BJP candidates made a clean sweep. BJP's Kiritsinh Rana won from Limbdi defeating Congress's Satish Patel by a margin of over 24,000 votes, while his fellow partyman Jayesh Radadiya won from Jetpur seat with a margin of over 52,000 votes from nearest rival from Congress, Jagdish Pambhar.
Jayesh had joined the BJP along with is father Vithal Radadiya early this year. In December last year Jayesh had contested assembly elections on Congress ticket from the same seat and won. But had resigned after he switched party.
On his victory Jayesh Radadia said, “This by-election result will defiantly reflect on Lok Sabha election coming in 2014. We will lead maximum in that election.”
BJP candidate from Dhoraji Pravin Mankadiya won with a margin of over 11,000 votes defeating Congress's Hari Patel. The saffron party also made inroads in Morva Hadaf which is considered as stronghold of Congress. There BJP's Nimish Suthar won with a margin of over 17,000 votes from Congress's Bhupendarsinh Khant.
Commenting of the by-poll results state BJP president R C Faldu said that people of Gujarat have once again reposed their faith in the BJP government in the state and their leadership. "This is a warning for the Congress who are bound by vote-bank politics. People have clearly indicated by voting for BJP that they need change at the Central level," Faldu said.
This is clear indication that people have appreciated our efforts and have accepted our approach of development politics and rejected Congress's divisive politics.
"This results further mean that over responsibility as a ruling party has increased. This will boost to party workers to work for the betterment of the people of Gujarat," Faldu added.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and former cabinet minister Shankarsinh Vaghela accepted the defeat of his party and assured introspection so that such incident is not repeated in near future. "We accept the verdict of the people of Gujarat and would work harder to reach out to the people of the state in the future," Vaghela said in a statement.
Vagehla, who is leader of the opposition in state assembly, also alleged that for the by-polls Modi government had misused the state machinery and given a free hand for bogus voting.
Gujarat Congress president Arjun Modhwadia was not available for comment.
Elections were held on Banaskantha Lok Sabha and Morva Hadaf Assembly seats after the death of Mukesh Gadhvi and Savita Khant, who were holding these seats respectively as Congress candidates. Khant had in fact died on the day of counting of state assembly elections on December 20.
On Porbandar Lok Sabha seat Vithhal Radadia first resigned as an MP when he got elected as an MLA from Dhoraji seat as a Congress candidate in the Assembly elections held in December last year. Later, Vithhal Radadia (Dhoraji) and his son Jayesh, who won from Jetpur Assembly seat, resigned as Congress MLAs and joined BJP and now both are contesting elections from Porbandar Lok Sabha and Jetpur Assembly seats respectively on the tickets from the ruling party.
Sitting Congress MP from Surendranagar Soma Patel, after winning Limbdi Assembly seat, resigned as an MLA due to which by-polls were are being held on Limbdi seat. On Limbdi seat son of Soma Patel, Satish is having a fight against former state minister Kiritsinh Rana of BJP. Whereas from Morva Hadaf Congress candidate Bhupendra Khant is son of Savita Khant.
Similarly for Banaskantha Lok Sabha seat Congress has given ticket to Krishna Gadhvi, who is widow of Mukesh Gadhvi.
Gujarat By-poll results (number of seats obtained)
| Parliamentary Seats | ||||
| BJP | Congress | Difference | Winner (Party) | |
| Banaskantha | 307,988 | 236,011 | 71,977 | Hari chaudhary (BJP) |
| Porbandar | 263,081 | 128,292 | 134,789 | Vithal radadiya (BJP) |
| Assembly Seats | ||||
| Limbdi | 81,159 | 56,372 | 24,787 | Kiritsinh Rana (BJP) |
| Jetpur | 78,164 | 25,254 | 52,910 | Jayesh Radadiya (BJP) |
| Dhoraji | 44,751 | 33,254 | 11,497 | Pravin Mankadiya (BJP) |
| Morva-Hadaf | 64,482 | 47,126 | 17,716 | Nimisha Suthar (BJP) |
