GUWAHATI: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supported by its allies, has registered thumping win in the by-election held in Lakhimpur Lok Sabha constituency and Baithalangso Assembly constituency in Assam defeating the nearest rival Congress in both the seats.
The by-election was held on November 19 last and results were declared on Tuesday.
The BJP retained Lakhimpur parliamentary constituency and wrested Baithalangso Assembly constituency from the Congress.
The BJP candidate Pradan Baruah who was supported by the BJP’s allies Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) and Ganashakti Party, won from Lakhimpur Lok Sabha seat defeating his nearest Congress rival Dr Hemohari Prassana Pegu by a margin of over 1.89 lakh votes.
The by-election was necessitated there after the sitting BJP MP, Sarbananda Sonowal, now the chief minister, vacated it to contest Assembly polls earlier this year.
Pradan Baruah won convincingly in eight out of the total nine Assembly segments under Lakhimpur Parliamentary constituency. He polled lesser votes than Congress only in Naoboicha Assembly segment under the constituency.
Baruah, who had left Congress to join BJP last year, was the sitting BJP MLA in Dhemaji Assembly constituency.
The BJP candidate Mansing Rongpi won from Baithalangso constituency defeating the nearest Congress rival Ruponsing Ronghang by over 15,000 votes. By-election was required in Baithalangso after the sitting Congress MLA Mansing Rongpi had shifted allegiance to the BJP earlier this year.
Rongpi, expressing his gratitude for the faith shown on him, vowed to work for the development for his constituency.
Rongpi has been maintaining a winning streak from Baithalangso, having won in 2006, 2011 and 2016 April Assembly polls as a Congress candidate.
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal termed the BJP’s win in one Lok Sabha and one Assembly seat in Assam as the “mandate” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to demonetise the Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes.
“BJP’s victory in by-polls is a clear indication that people are fully supporting the decision to demonetise Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes. It is people’s mandate for the Prime Minister’s decision of demonetisation,” he told reporters here.
The Chief Minister said people responded overwhelmingly in support of Modi’s call for eradicating black money and a clear indication that the BJP-led governments at the Centre and Assam were performing well.
BJP has won the recently held by-polls in Lakhimpur Lok Sabha constituency and Baithalangshu Assembly seat.
Sonowal, who is in the national capital, met the Prime Minister and appealed him to ensure monitoring of construction of fencing along the Indo-Bangladesh border.
