The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its partners of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) made a clean sweep in bye-elections to all 10 assembly seats in four northeastern states, results of which were announced on Tuesday, emphasising its dominance of the region.
In Assam, where bye-elections were held in five seats, the ruling BJP won three seats while its coalition partner, United Peoples’ Party Liberal (UPPL), won the remaining two.
“Today’s victory is both humbling and reassuring and we promise to continue the path of ‘vikas’ (progress) as per vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi… This further strengthens our resolve to continue delivering on good governance,” chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma posted on Twitter.
The Bhabanipur, Thawra and Mariani seats were won by BJP candidates Phanidhar Talukdar, Sushanta Talukdar and Rupjyoti Kurmi, respectively by margins of of 25,641, 30,561 and 40,104 votes from their nearest rivals. Bypolls in these seats were necessitated after Congress MLAs from Mariani and Thawra, Rupjyoti Kurmi and Sushanta Borgohain, and All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) MLA from Bhabanipur, Phanidhar Talukdar, resigned from their parties and joined BJP between August and September this year, barely month after the assembly polls held in March-April.
All three secured easy wins, as BJP candidates on Tuesday.
{{/usCountry}}All three secured easy wins, as BJP candidates on Tuesday.
{{/usCountry}}UPPL candidates Jiron Basumatary and Jolen Daimary won from Gossaigaon and Tamulpur seats, respectively by margins of 28,252 and 57,059 votes from their nearest rivals. The two seats had turned vacant following the deaths of Bodoland Peoples’ Front (BPF) and United Peoples Party Liberal (UPPL) legislators, Majendra Narzary and Leho Ram Boro, due to Covid-19 complications, inMay this year barely weeks after winning the seats.
The bypolls in the state were the first test for chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma who assumed the top post in May, replacing his predecessor from the same party, Sarbananda Sonowal.
Following Tuesday’s wins, the BJP’s strength in the 126-member Assam Assembly increased to 62, with its allies UPPL and Asom Gana Parishad adding 16 more to its tally.
The opposition Congress has 27 MLAs, AIUDF has 15, BPF has 3 and, CPM and newly-floated Raijor Das has 1 seat each.
“We accept the people’s verdict with humility and congratulate chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on their win. Congress will continue to play the role of a responsible opposition and keep tab that the government fulfils all promises it made during the polls,” Assam Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah said.
In Meghalaya, the ruling National Peoples’ Party (NPP) won two of the three seats which went to the polls. One of its allies, United Democratic Party (UDP), emerged winner in the third one.
The Mawryngkneng seat was bagged by NPP’s Pyniaid Sing Syiem, who defeated Congress candidate Highlander Kharmalki by a margin of 1,816 votes. The seat was earlier with the Congress.
In Mawphlang, UDP’s Eugeneson Lyngdoh, a former footballer who represented India in the men’s senior national team on 24 occasions, defeated Congress’s Kennedy Cornelius Khyriem by a margin of over 4,000 votes. The seat was earlier represented by Lyngdoh’s father, Syntar Klas Sunn, who succumbed to Covid-19 in September.
The Rajabala seat, which was earlier with Congress’ Hashina Yasmin Mondal, was won by ruling NPP’s Mohhamad Abdus Saleh. Saleh was pitted against Congress’ Ashahel D. Shira, and won by a margin of 1,926 votes.
All the three seats had fallen vacant due to deaths of sitting MLAs. The BJP is a partner in the ruling coalition in the state.
“The people have made their choice by ensuring the victory of our candidates… The victory is dedicated to the people who have put their trust in NPP’s capacity to take the state forward,” Meghalaya chief minister and NPP president Conrad Sangma tweeted.
The bypoll results pushed NPP’s tally to 23 and UDP’s to 8 in the 60-member house. The opposition Congress now has 17 seats.
In Mizoram, ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) candidate K Laldawngliana won the Tuirial seat after defeating Zoram Peoples Movement (ZPM) candidate Laltlanmawia by a margin of 1,284 votes.
The election was necessitated following the death of sitting ZPM MLA, Andrew H Thangliana, in August this year.
The ruling MNF, which is a partner of NDA at Centre, now has 28 seats in the 40-member assembly. While the ZPM has six, Congress has five seats. The BJP, which has only one seat, is not part of the state government.
“My best wishes to K Laldawngliana who got elected from the MNF’s ticket at the Tuirial assembly bye-election. May you always be a pillar of strength for the people,” Mizoram chief minister and MNF president Zoramthanga tweeted.
In Nagaland, the ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) retained the Shamator-Chessore assembly constituency with its candidate, S Keoshu Yimchunger, being declared elected unopposed on October 13.
Yimchunger, a newcomer in the state electoral politics, was the consensus candidate of the newly-formed opposition-less United Democratic Alliance (UDA) in Nagaland, where the NDPP, BJP, Naga People’s Front (NPF) and two independent MLAs are partners.
The by-poll to Shamatore-Chessore seat in Nagaland Legislative Assembly was necessitated following the demise of then sitting NDPP MLA, Toshi Wungtung, in July .
With Yimchunger’s victory, NDPP’s total strength in the house of 60 increased to 21, with NPF having 25 MLAs and BJP having 12. There are also two independent legislators.